Belay
by NancyLiu
Summary: There was not enough rope in any world to pull her out of the mess she had fallen into.
1. Watch me

"For the last time, I have the extra thirty feet of rope!" It was like everything Nancy said was going in one ear and out the other. She must have told Jessica at least half a dozen times that the extra rope was with her.

"Alright, alright." The pale woman put her hands up in surrender to her increasingly aggressive friend. She had only wanted to make sure that they had all of their provisions. Exploring caves and running out of the necessities were not two things that she wanted to do at the same time.

"I've also got like twenty granola bars, enough water tablets to last me a year and yes, even the mace. Why would we need mace in a cave anyway?" Nancy was never really sure what was going through Jessica's mind when they went under, but the woman hadn't led her wrong thus far.

Feeling a clap on the back Nancy turned to find Ella behind her a smile splayed on her face. She had saved her from being told of the dangers that might lurk in the caves. Ella was always the most laid back of their group. The other two were high strung enough for their group of four.

"You two are like an old married couple, I swear!" Her comment was met with two withering glares and laughter from their last friend, Asha. Nancy was secretly happy that the older girls were so playful as it set her nerves aside.

The exploration they were going on was going to be one of their longest thus far. The caves were deep and while they were well explored, new tunnels came up every few years. It excited yet frightened her.

During their last spelunking, they went with a large group into the Moaning Cave. There were too many people and it threw her off. The other three girls agreed with her that they were better suited to go as a smaller group. Jessica was certified to lead them on adventures so she didn't worry about anything bad happening.

She understood why Jessica was so adamant about them having everything, but the woman was going overboard. She had gone through each pack herself and made sure everything was accounted for, twice. Then, throughout the entire drive, she continued to ask the other three if they had random objects. Nancy was about to pull out her own hair.

"Here," Asha murmured stepping up to Nancy and pulling her away from the oldest two of their group. "Your helmet is a bit loose." Her hands deftly worked at the clasps of the headgear. She tugged the end to the right side tightening it so it sat snug to the other woman's chin.

"Thank you, dear." Nancy smiled gently before giving the red-haired girl a light pat on the cheek. "If you hadn't come along just now I might have gone crazy." Both women chuckled knowing it was a joke, but one they could both see coming true.

Asha joined their hands together and pulled both girls to their friends. Jessica finally looked satisfied that they had everything and nodded smiling to the group as though she hadn't been near biting their heads off two minutes before.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Ella was probably the most excited. They didn't often go cave exploring in climates as agreeable as the one that Washington offers in midsummer. It would be a nicer exploration for them.

The entrance to the cave was large enough and the bottom was nearly 800 feet below them. It was part of a network of caves in the area. Upon entering the cave it was almost an immediate drop from the entrance. Many of the people they had talked with said it was best to know which cave you were entering for that reason.

Right away they set to work getting ready to start belaying down into the cave. She was working with Asha while Ella and Jessica were working out their own situation. Asha and Nancy did a quick rundown of their safe check, knots, buckles, the belay device itself. Then they went over the command checks. The two had worked together so often that it was like second nature.

"On belay?" Asha questioned getting ready to start her descent. Nancy nodded quickly and gave her a quick reply of 'Belay on' before the woman began to disappear from her sight. Nancy made sure to give the other woman enough slack when necessary and to tighten the rope when Asha needed a moment.

It was a quick and easy process to get Asha to the bottom and then to get herself down as well. For the two of them at least. Jessica and Ella were having a harder time getting down than the younger two. Jessica slipped on her way down, though she was lucky when Ella caught her easily enough.

"Took you two long enough." Nancy teased looking at the two haggard girls. "We still have hours ahead of us and yet you are already sweating?" She teased at the thin layer of sweat over Jessica's forehead.

"Har har Nan." Ella puffed wiping at her cheeks trying to get the sweat off but only succeeded in wiping dirt across her right cheek. "Sorry, we can't all be pros!" Her slug to Nancy's right arm was assurance that there were no hard feelings.

The group of four made the rest of their way through the caves with relative ease. The hours spent looking down the tunnels and entering if deemed safe enough. Some looked as though they would be good, but narrowed too far and none of the girls could fit through the tiny areas. Others were so large the could go through two at a time shoulder to shoulder.

Many of the drops were sudden but noticeable. Each woman had at least three light sources on her so there was plenty of light when needed, though they tried to keep it to a minimum as the cave played home to many bats.

There was little to no drinkable water in the caves so they each took care to measure out their water consumption as they carried only a gallon each. She carried some tablets in case they did find some water that was unclean and able to be harvested.

Jessica was smart in that way. She had them prepare for the worst. Everyone carried food water, a first aid kit, and extra clothes along with other necessities. It was a real pain and sometimes their packs were too big to fit into some sections but better safe than sorry in her book.

Their first day was a real success and they didn't even make it out until the sun had long since set. It was nearly midnight by the time Nancy had made it to the entrance of the cave. The fresh air was a nice change from the close and moist air of the cave.

As they laid in their sleeping bags that evening Nancy and Asha were going over everything they found that day. They take about the huge chambers they found and the one that was so small none of them could enter it even without their packs.

Even though the women were happy to get some rest and fresh air they were quick in waking the next morning to go straight back down. Their descent was much easier the next time around as they already knew some of the caverns and were able to pick up where they left off.

"Hey, how far do you think these caves go?" Jessica questioned as they were taking a break. They had just reached a drop that was new to them and had decided to stop and refuel themselves. "I mean, I haven't seen a cave system so extensive in a while." Her granola bar wrapper went straight to the front pocket of Ella's pack.

"Who knows?" Nancy shrugged getting up to look over at the drop a few feet away. "You know how deep these places can go. The deepest they've found so far is like, 800 for this cave, but I don't know how many different tunnels there are. Who knows maybe we'll find another world." The group had a good chuckle at those words.

The group sat in silence for a few moments to just enjoy the peace before they continued. A few feet away Nancy could hear the dipping of water. It was a small sound, but for a place so quiet and peaceful it was seemed so loud.

"Oh, by the way," Asha murmured next to her ear. "My parents want you to come over next weekend. Adam's wedding is coming up and they want to make sure our outfits are coordinated or something like that." Her hands moved languidly through the air as if to say it wasn't a big deal.

Nancy on the other hand nearly jumped down the hole. Asha's family was great, they welcomed her with open arms, but man, they were some scary people. All of the men in her family had thick dark facial hair and were like seven feet tall while the women weren't much different sans the facial hair.

"Sounds horrible." The two of them shared a look before laughing softly together at the words. It was a joke, but both knew how picky Asha's family was. It really would be a horrible experience. "But, I guess I can make it." Her smile lit up in the dark of the cave as the other three shook their heads at her theatrics.

After ten minutes of catching their breath and regaining their energy, the group made their way over to the cavern. The drop looked further down than the ones they had already passed. It was hard to even see the bottom from the top of the drop.

The bottom looked rather jagged but had a few places where they could stand to go further. They could barely make out the outline of a new tunnel that they had yet to enter. The entrance was large enough that Nancy at 5 foot 6 inches could probably stand in the passageway.

"On Belay?" Nancy questioned looking over at Asha who would be letting her down first. When the older woman answered in the affirmative she began her descent. Pushing off from the ledge Nancy launched her body backward.

The distance from her their side of the cavern was large enough that she needn't stick close to the wall and easily glided down. Though it was not wide width wise and they had to go one at a time and as the quicker pair, Asha and Nancy volunteered to go first.

Condensation made the walls slick but there were many rocks that protruded from around her. She had plenty of places to use as a foothold. Her boots were sturdy and held enough grip that she didn't have to worry about slipping.

The air was cold though, it made her grateful that she had worn her gloves even if they were fingerless. Unlike the rest of her body that wore a few layers, the brown leather of the gloves were the only things protecting her hands from the dank air.

Finally, she could see the bottom clearly. There was plenty of space and the rocks were not nearly so jagged as they appeared before. It was only about 20 or 30 feet away and seemed like it would be an easy accomplishment. Seemed at least.

In her moment of distraction, Nancy's left foot hit a slippery section of rock and slid down. She tried to call out a 'Watch me!' to Asha, but all she could let out was a scream as she free fell the remaining distance to the rock floor below her.

* * *

Forgive me for this long authors note. This is my first story on here in 8 years(don't bother looking at the others, they are horrible). I'm already 5 chapters into this and almost finished with the Fellowship! I'm going to be trying to update regularly. I realize that this story may start off similarly to other stories on here, but I assure you I would never steal another work. I also realize that my plot has been played to death, a girl falls into Middle Earth and somehow ends up with the Fellowship? How original! Well, I intend to make it as original as possible. Please read kindly and remember that I am in no way a professional writer and that I am doing this for my own enjoyment and hopefully yours. That being said, I accept criticism easily and welcome it. I want to write better for everyone's gain. You get to read better writing and I am able to grow as a writer. Thank you for reading this far and please continue!


	2. Falling

Murmurs. She could hear them coming from her right. Her pace quickened and she found herself nearly at a sprint. Nancy tried to be careful, to watch out for sharp rocks, but she was so excited. It had been nearly three days since she had fallen.

Her hand laid on the wall for guidance and her helmet light lit her way. She had no wishes of falling to her death. There were plenty of drop-offs all around the cave and she had nearly fallen into one too many.

"Hello!" She called out loudly. If they were down there then maybe they were part of a rescue party? "I'm here, hello!" Nancy didn't want to startle them as the voices were getting louder and she knew she was going in the right direction.

Suddenly everything stopped. She couldn't hear a single voice, not even a whisper. There were two tunnels in front of her. Trying to call out again Nancy didn't receive a single answer and she was starting to think that maybe she had imagined the voices.

Nancy could feel her heart shake as she looked between the two tunnels. She could not hear a single sound from either. Taking a chance she turned off the light to her helmet. Her actions were rewarded when she saw it. The faintest flicker of light from the tunnel to her left.

Chasing the tiny flicker she used both walls and walked slowly. Nancy didn't dare to try and turn the helmet light back on as it would drown out the tiny light that was only growing slightly brighter as she went on. She just hoped there were no drop-offs between her and the light.

Slipping Nancy fell clattering to her knees causing a loud groan to leave her mouth. Then as if by magic the voices started again. They were quiet and nearer than before. She knew she had made the right choice and shot to her feet and began making her way towards the voices.

"Please, I need help!" She called and again the voices disappeared. Fear began to grow in her chest. What if it was not a search party? What if they were just random cavers that had come down to enjoy themselves? Would they be able to help her then?

Only a few more steps until she saw them. She entered with both hands up and slow steps. Nancy knew what could happen if one were to startle a group of cavers. It was never a good thing.

Upon looking at the group though, it was obvious that they were no cavers. They had no equipment and their clothing was, to put it lightly, medieval. They were no rescue group and she wondered how in the world they had even come so far.

None of them had any injuries that she could see. Well, none that were actual caving injuries. They had plenty of cuts and bruises rather than ones that came come caving the ones they sported looked as though they could have been from a bar fight or something similar.

It wasn't their strange garb or the odd injuries that she was most confused by, but the men themselves. One was an old man which was strange enough for being so deep in a cave. He had a long bushy beard which was the much like the rest of his outfit, grey.

Of the men, three of them were regular men, one of whom looked young, but the other two looked middle-aged. The first man was tall with shaggy dirt blonde hair and a wary look in his grey eyes. Next to him was a man with dark hair that had grey flecked through it. He looked confused and startled by her, but not nearly as wary as the other man.

The last of the taller men was taller than the first and just shy of the height of the second. His hair was long and blonde, somehow it looked silken. His eyes were a luminous blue and she wondered how he looked so clean especially for being so deep in a cave?

Around them were five small men. One had a large red beard while the others sported very large feet. There was only with dark hair and bright blue eyes, he looked the most startled of all the men and clutched at his chest.

Beside the dark-haired one was a blonde who was chubbier than the others. He stood in front of the dark haired one protectively. The other two with big feet were both blonde and had these looks about them as though they had just found an unimaginably great surprise.

Rounding out the group was a man with an axe. He sported a huge bushy beard that had several braids throughout it. She was trying to pick out any other distinguishing feature about the man, but the axe in his hand was capturing her attention over anything else.

"Who," She stuttered looking over the group. "Who are you?" The group of men were staring at her with varying degrees of confusion. Catching a glint of light she looked towards it and took a step back. One of the men, the one with brown hair, carried a sword at his hip and he was drawing it out towards her.

Taking a closer look Nancy saw that each one of them, even the old man, carried a weapon of some sort. The youngest looking of the taller ones carried a bow that had an arrow poised to shoot her. All of the others carried swords save for the short male with the beard who held his axe.

"I think it would be a better idea for you to tell us who you are." The old man warned looking closely at her. His gaze made her feel self-conscious and reminded her that she was covered in dirt and slightly bloodied from all the falling she had done. "And then tell us how you came to be here." He added still assessing her just as the others were.

"My name is Nancy," She refused to tell them her last name. The men seemed strange and she was not sure if she could trust them, though if the last three days of silence were anything to go by, she might need to. "I was caving with some friends and fell. The rope must have snapped and I fell down to the bottom." She shivered remembering the incident.

When she woke Nancy looked around and saw nothing but rock. Her head was tender, but her vision was clear and didn't spin. Making sure that her head lamp still worked Nancy could feel relief flush through her as the light flickered on.

Looking over her body Nancy took inventory of all of her extremities to make sure nothing was broke or punctured. She had a few scrapes, including one on her face. She looked through her meager medical pack and decided that none of the scrapes warranted the use of anything she had brought.

Once she finished checking herself she needed to find her group. When Nancy looked up to where she fell from there was nothing. No rope dangling or a sign of the others. The ceiling of the tunnel she was in seemed shorter than it was before, but she couldn't be sure. She might have rolled from higher up.

"Asha! Asha, are you there?" Her own echo was the only answer she received. And it seemed like that would be the only answer she would be receiving. For hours she sat there. Trying to figure a way out of the caves. Calling for the others didn't work and neither did signaling them with her lights.

Nancy may not have been in the same spot as she fell, but her group would still come for her. The thought that they had left her was fleeting, she knew her group and they would never leave her behind. She knew her friends would never leave her.

After a day of sitting there, she decided to start moving. She would follow the air current and hope that it led her out of the tunnels. Nancy was deep and she knew it would be hard to get out, but she needed to try. Her life depended on it.

"Caving?" The words brought her out of her thoughts and she turned her attention back to the dark haired man who was looking at her with cautious yet curious eyes. He had never heard of such a thing, that much was clear.

It made her wonder though, why were these men down there when they didn't even know what caving was? The system they were in was known to be dangerous and only for experts.

Nancy knew that it was not that they were lost. To get lost and then end up so deep in a cave was a ludicrous idea. Even entering a cave by accident was just silly to think about in its self. Falling in and getting lost was different though.

That did not seem to be the case with the group before her though. She had seen the result of such a thing more than once and she knew the men had not suffered such a fate. People who fall in are usually terrified and clawing to get out. The men were calm and collected though a bit on edge.

Seeing that they were not lost she was at a loss as to what type of a situation they were in. The men were dressed so oddly and not at all for the climate of a cave and yet they did not seem to be too bothered. The smaller ones were not even wearing shoes. Nancy's mind was boggled as to what they could have been doing in a cave dressed how they were.

"Yeah, my group and I were exploring the caves, but like I said my rope must have broke and I ended up separated." She was just repeating herself, but those were the only answers she could give. "I thought maybe you were rescuers, but I see now that I was wrong." She was unsure of what else to say.

The old man, who frankly looked like a dirty version of Dumbledore, starred at her. While all of the men did this it was the old man whose gaze was the most piercing. He was staring straight into her eyes. It was strange, the man glared into her soul and yet he had an aura about him. One that seemed to spoke volumes, but those volumes seemed to be hidden from her.

"Gandalf, let us rid ourselves of this girl." The brown-haired man spoke looking down his nose at the small girl. His eyes were cold as though to counteract the kindness of the old man. "We know not who she is. She could be one of his spies." The man seemed stressed at the thought of whoever it was that he spoke of.

"Nay, I do not believe this is the case." The old man, Gandalf, replied though he did not look from the girl before him. Compared to them she probably looked rather strange. They were all dressed like people from the dark ages. Nancy was dressed like any old caver unlike the strange group she had met with.

Her caving pants were tight and paired with her thick jacket and sturdy boots. Her clothing was all black with only reflector patches on it. Only her helmet and gloves were pink with a light on the front of her helmet.

The man seemed offended that Gandalf refused to listen to him. Though, Nancy was happy that he refused. She liked not dying which is what usually seemed to happen to people that others 'got rid of'. The four smallest men looked fearfully between the man who had suggested it and then herself. They did not seem nearly as excited to get rid of her as their friend.

"What would you have us do?" The man questioned turning his burning gaze towards the small girl who coward into the wall of the cave. She was normally not one to shy from a fight, but she also was not usually getting into fights with men who had swords. "She would only slow us down!" His glare seemed to try and poison her.

"If we do not take her with us then would you say we should leave her here?" The dark haired man questioned looking to the other man. "Are you suggesting that we do this? That we leave her to the goblins and whatever else may come for her?" His anger was palpable to the young woman who stood and watched, but only one word caught her attention.

Goblins.

Wide-eyed Nancy stared at the group. The small men and their large feet, the man with the axe and too large of facial features. The old wizard-like Gandalf. There was definitely something up with the men around her.

Looking closer at the taller of the men she noticed that the lithe blonde one had ears the shape of leaves and seemed to have a glow about him like he was glowing from within. The other two seemed normal enough though she was unsure if everything was as it appeared.

Surely they were just deeply invested into whatever role-play it was that they were doing. Or perhaps it was one of those shared delusions? Where they all found a mythological character of legend that fit them and went along with it. She couldn't be sure, but whatever it was that was happening to them was nothing good and she wanted no part in it.

Her feet drew back further. Her flight or fight instinct seemed to be spurring into the flight direction. It was strange for her. She grew up with siblings so fighting was normally her first reaction even when going against people that were not her siblings. These men, however, were nothing like the men that she had argued with in the past.

It wasn't only the swords they wore that frightened her. It was the way in which they carried themselves. She had met soldiers in her time, she had seen the way that they walked and had experienced the air that surrounded them. The men before her reminded her of soldiers or at least people who thought they were soldiers.

She started to wonder if she was dreaming, but if she was when did it start? She hadn't been dreaming five minutes before when she fell and hurt herself trying to get to them. So then, had she fainted at some point and this was some strange dream or was it all real?

"Did you say goblins?" She questioned looking at the man who had said the word. He was and shaggy looking. His beard barely trimmed and looked like to be growing out while his hair was greasy and unkept. He was covered in dirt and grime from head to toe. Nancy doubted she looked any better.

"Yes milady," His voice was solemn and she heard the nerves in it. "We found many a dwarf slain when we entered these caves. Killed by goblins." She could hear the bearded man choke back a sound at the others words. "Did you not see them when you entered?" He sounded confused as he looked closely at her and must have registered the shock on her face at what he was telling her.

"No, I saw no bodies." Her head shook and she could feel her braids move the slightest bit under her helmet. "The entrance I came from was hard to get to and was a drop almost right away. I don't think that we came in the same way." She wasn't going to say it out loud, but there was no way a few of them could have gotten in the same way as her. No need to upset them about their non-slim figures.

The man nodded a thoughtful look crossing his grey eyes. He ran a hand through his grey-flecked hair before letting the dark tresses fall back. He studied the girl just as Gandalf had. She stood defensively eyes flickering between the members of their company. Most often they settled his brown-haired companion.

She was scared. That much was obvious. The girl, Nancy, was fearful of him and the rest of the men. As well she should be. They were armed to kill and they were pounced to strike at a moments notice.

"No, I do not believe we did," Gandalf spoke to Nancy a sort of twinkle in his eye as he watched the girl. "But, I do believe that you will have to come with us for now." His voice reflected the worry he and his companion had voiced, though his voice was much kinder than the other men.

There it was. Nancy knew she didn't have to go with them, but what other choice did she have. Her granola bars were halfway out and she had already run out of water. If she decided not to go with the men then she would surely die in the cave. No, she had no choice but to go with the group.

Instantly the atmosphere of the group was changed. Two of the smaller men came to her and introduced themselves. Merry and Pippin, they said to call them. They were nicknames though, they told her their full names, but those were long and slightly confusing. She had tried using them, but both males asked for just their nicknames.

The rest of the group held back though the two small men were happy to tell her their names. Gandalf she already knew, then there was Aragorn the one who agreed she should come along. Boromir was the unhappy one, they said he was often like that. Then Frodo and Sam. Frodo was apparently their cousin? The tall man with leaf-shaped ears was Legolas. Strangely they had little to say of him. Lastly, there was Gimli, he was said to have family somewhere in the caves. Though if there were already so many bodies as they said she feared for his family.

It was strange, she noted. The group didn't refer to the place as caves, but rather as mines. Merry told her that Gimli's family had made the mines or rather that his people had. She took a look back at Gimli when they said this. The man in question wasn't paying attention. His gaze zinging around when ever the softest noise occurred.

Nancy worried the longer they went on. Gandalf was leading them and seemed to know where they were going. That was not what worried her. It was the fact that as they were walking the caves looked less and less like caves and more like they had been made by hand.

Halting in her steps Nancy's jaw dropped. Before her sat a staircase. It wasn't an amazing or beautiful staircase. It seemed old and was crumbling, but there was no mistaking what it was.

Reaching down she pinched her arm, hard. A hiss escaped her lips at the pain and she knew that she was awake. Just for good measure, she slapped her cheek once. Stinging assured her that the stairs before her were really before her.

Mind reeling Nancy looked to the others of the group. Most had already started climbing though the taller three of the males waited watching her with interest and thinly veiled confusion. They had probably witnessed her harming herself. None said anything and simply waited for her.

Giving the men a small nod she walked passed them towards the steep stairs. For a few moments she attempted to climb with just her feet, but the incline would randomly steepen and she was forced to use her hands to keep going.

Hearing someone slipping Nancy looked up and saw a small body coming down towards her. It was Frodo. He was coming towards her quickly and she realized that he hand already been slipping for a few seconds before she looked up.

"Gotcha!" She called digging her feet in as well as one hand. Her other hand reached out and caught Frodo before he could fall any further. "You okay?" Her inquiry was met with a red-faced nod.

Looking Frodo over she nodded back. His feet were large and the stairs thin, he had probably just lost his footing. A glinting of metal caught her eye in the low light that Gandalf's cane offered. The glimmering drawing her attention straight to it.

A metal undershirt? She found it strange that he wore metal under his clothing. It looked thin and as though it would not do much, but she didn't question it. There were a lot of things that didn't make sense and Frodo's fashion choices were the least of her worries.

Smiling lightly she helped Frodo regain his footing. The male looked confused for a moment before giving her a gentle smile back. It was the first she had seen from him since they had met. It seemed strange that he was related to the ever-smiling duo of Merry and Pippin, but some people were just like that.

"Frodo!" It was Aragorn coming up close behind the pair. "Is all well?" He looked closely at Frodo, mainly his chest, she noticed. Maybe he was confused by the metal shirt as well? A small nod from Frodo was answer enough for Aragorn before the latter started pushing them to move again.

After the short encounter, there was no more talking. The group was so set on getting to the top of the stairs that no one said a single word. The stairs seemed to go on forever. She had to wonder where they were going and if maybe the stairs would just lead straight to the surface.

What felt like an eternity later they finally reached the top of the stairs. Normally Nancy was happy to climb, but it this time was different. The air felt close and her hair stood on end. The fact that no one said a word made her feel even more nervous. She and her friends would normally talk nonstop as they were caving, but the group seemed to all be lost within themselves.

Once they reached the top, Merry and Pippin quickly resumed chattering as they sat happily on some rubble laying around them. The two were talking about the food they would eat when their mission thingy was over with, their words not hers.

The words of the two small men piqued her interest. They were on a mission? She wondered for what seemed like the hundredth time, what was the strange group doing down in such a place? Her thoughts were cut off as a murmur from Gandalf rang out.

"I have no memory of this place." Those words seemed to pierce into Nancy's ears. The men around her took this as a chance for a rest. Were they not also worried that they would be trapped in the tunnels? Was Gandalf that great that they didn't even question him?

Confused and cold Nancy decided it would be a good time to pull out some of her supplies. She first grabbed her hot packs so that she could warm her hands. They went to her pockets before she pulled out her mace.

Looking over the small can Nancy let out a bitter chuckle. Well, Jessica did always say that she might need it one day. Nancy was sure she meant for a small rodent or raccoon, not for a group of men or goblins. Jessica was always right in the end.

Tears attempted to well in her eyes, but Nancy forced them back down refusing to let the men around her see her cry. She was the only woman in the group and she would be damned if she gave into the 'all women are emotional messes' stereotype.

Her mind wandered as she tried to make her body relax onto a rock and leaned back into the wall behind her. How long were they going to be stuck wandering the tunnels in the dark? Would they even make it out at all?

"Miss Nancy," A timid voice called her attention to the small round blonde. He looked at her with uncertain yet kind eyes. His hand was outstretched and held a leather pouch. From the look of it she assumed it was a water skin. "I reckon you could you some water in you." His kind words and actions lulled her into a sense of safety and she carefully took the skin from him.

Sam. That was his name she remembered as she drank from the pouch. The water was crisp and cool on her lips. It wasn't until that moment that Nancy realized how thirsty she was. her water had run out the day before and she could feel her body going slack in relief.

"Thank you, Mr. Sam." It felt funny to call the male that, but maybe using suffixes was how it was done back home for him. She knew he and the other small men were from the same place, but Merry and Pippin didn't seem like the 'stick to tradition' types to her and Frodo hadn't spoken her name so she wasn't sure.

A soft red hue covering Sam's cheek was barely visible by the dim light Gandalf's walking stick gave off. Nancy smiled softly. She was scared and shaken from the last few days. Sam's smiling face was a welcome sight.

"No need to call me such a name. Just Sam will do." His polite words confused her as he stammered his reply. Just Sam? Nancy marveled at his sweet words. She had met some sweet boys before, but she was unsure if she had met one as sweet as Sam seemed to be.

"Alright then, just Sam." She teased smiling down at the male before her. Her heart had yet to stop racing but seeing such a friendly face was helping her to calm down. It was reassuring. Let her know that they were not all out to get her.

Thinking about it she slid her eyes over to Boromir. Luckily his gaze was not focused on her. Instead, he was talking in hushed voices with Aragorn. It almost felt like a blessing to not have the two men staring her down.

While Boromir's gaze was filled with contempt and blame, for what she knew not, Aragorn's was a different story. His look was one of confusion. Like he was trying to puzzle out a riddle. The man did not seem as if he was going to ask any more questions though. If he wanted to do that he had plenty of chances.

Her hair began to stand on end and Nancy knew she was being watched, again. Since the others were busy she knew exactly who it was. Legolas was far more discreet than the two men. She had never actually caught him looking at her, but she knew he constantly was. At least he tried to hide it.

"Oh, it's that way!" Gandalf exclaimed looking to a dark tunnel on his left. Merry became excited that Gandalf had remembered the way, but the old man denied his words. "No, the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt Meriadoc always follow your nose." He told the small male as he sat his large hat onto his greying head.

The descent into the cavern was much easier than the climb up the steep steps. She could rely on the wall to keep her steady. Though she was sad to have to keep her heat packs in her pockets. The caves were cold and damp.

She had to wonder how the small men were doing it. They wore flimsy clothes and no shoes at all. They had to have been freezing, but said not a word of complaint, aside from their hunger. It was rather impressive as even regular caves were exerting though not nearly as much as the one they were in.

Watching her step was rather hard. It was dark and her lights were running out of battery. She wondered what kind of a battery Gandalf's light ran on. He had been using it non stop for the past several hours and didn't seem to worry about it dying.

"Gandalf!" Nancy called picking up her pace to reach the old man. Frodo stared up at her from his side. He never seemed to leave the other. "What type of light is that on your walking stick? Like what type of battery and bulb is it?" She was hoping that maybe he had more batteries so she could borrow some for more lighting.

"Do forgive me, but I do not know what a battery is nor am I aware of what a blub could be." Gandalf seemed confused by the words. How could he not know what a battery is or much less a lightbulb? The look he gave her was one of inquiry rather than one that told her he was joking.

"Then how exactly is your staff lit up? Magic?" Her sarcasm was uncalled for, but she couldn't help it. If he didn't have a battery or light and claimed to not know what either was then how was she supposed to react?

Both Frodo and Gandalf stopped and their gazes settled on the girl. She could feel her face flush as she stared back at them. Perhaps they were offended by her tone? She was normally a very patient woman, but the ongoings around her were running her thin.

"Yes, how else would such a wondrous feat be possible?" It seemed that not only Frodo and Gandalf were listening to her words. Pippin seemed more than happy to explain that Gandalf was, in fact, a wizard. "He's quite a good one too! You should see his fireworks!" She had to wonder how fireworks equated to being a wizard but did not say anything aloud.

Frankly she was not even surprised. Strange things had been happening for the past few days. She falls in one cave only to wake up in another. Then she finds a group of men dressed like they were going to a renaissance fair. Then they say goblins killed a bunch of dwarves and that there were more of both in the caves that turned out to be mines? Why not add some magic into the mix?

The company were all staring at her in wait. She was not sure what they wanted and she was not sure what to tell them. She sure felt like Dorothy in Oz, though she didn't even have Toto. Her mind was reeling as to what to tell them. It seemed as though she was in a land not her own. Like that fall had taken her somewhere far away.

"Uhm, well, I've never met a wizard before." She started out and they all made some gestures of understanding. Well, that was good. "So, uh, people back home use batteries and light bulbs to give light instead of, uh, magic." The answer was so absolutely eloquent she wondered if they would be able to comprehend it.

Judging by the looks of confusion on the faces of the males, the answer was no. Instead of trying to figure out how to explain she reached up and flicked the light on her helmet on. All of the men staggered backward from the bright light. She could hear the flapping of wings and quickly shut off the headlamp. She did not want to add bats to the list of worries she was accruing.

"What sort of sorcery was that?" Boromir ground out looking at her head gear with sudden distrust. "How in the world did you conjure the light and force it away. You claim to be not a witch and yet you are able to commit such a feat?" He was stepping closer and closer his hand on the handle of his sword.

Nancy's feet were once again taking her back from the danger. She scuttled backward away from the male who seemed to want her dead and also happened to have a sword. Didn't seem like a good idea to stay too close to him.

Her escape only stopped when a pair of hands gently grabbed her biceps from behind her. She turned her head to find Legolas staring down at her his curiosity burning in his luminous eyes.

Her gaze flickered from him to Boromir trying to decide who was the less deadly option. The man who would happily cut her down with a sword or the archer who didn't seem to have any ill will towards her. She decided to take her chances with Legolas. Nancy knew to zigzag.

"It's not me. Anybody could do it. It's science, not sorcery." Her voice quivered as she stared at the tall man stalking closer. The hands on her arms removed themselves and Legolas stood at her side. It almost felt as though he was trying to protect her, but she doubted he would go against his friend for a woman he didn't know.

Raising her hands Nancy tried to motion for Boromir to stop, but the male continued until he was stopped by Aragorn who also looked at her with a hint of suspicion. It made her stomach flutter with nerves. It seemed as though one wrong move would end her life.

Slowly and deliberately Nancy raised her hands and removed her headlamp. Luckily she had bought a detachable version. She had no wishes of taking off her helmet. It might not stop a sword or an arrow, but it would stop other things that may come at her.

Brushing the wisps back behind her ear Nancy looked up at the group of men. Gently she motioned Sam forward. He was soft-spoken and seemed truly loyal to what ever the mission they had was. If he vouched for her then maybe they would be more inclined to believe her.

Sam seemed rather cautious as he took the light from her hands. Turning the device over a few times he looked up at her in confusion. She pointed to the button that would turn on the light and let him do the rest. She just hoped he wouldn't point it at the ceiling as she didn't even want to think of the number of bats up there.

The group was stunned as they watched the light flicker on as Sam pushed the button on and off when he gave it another press. He did it a few more times before passing it off to Frodo and then Merry and Pippin. Even Gimli was interested in her lamp.

"See, I told you it wasn't me." Nancy could feel the smug grin on her face as she watched all of the others messing with her light. "It is an invention of my people." The males were all astonished at her words.

Watching them marvel over the simple device scared her. Was she truly so far from home? She had said it was her people and back home. She knew she had no choice, but accepting such a crazy situation so easily did not sit well with her.

She felt like she had lost her mind and knew little of what was happening around her. Her world was whirling and Nancy didn't know how to make it stop. Everything around her seemed to be insane, but she could feel the stinging of her cuts and the throbbing of her heart. She knew it was all real and yet found it hard to accept

* * *

AN: I've dropped off the face of the planet, but now I'm back! I haven't reread this too much. I edited it and everything, but there could still bery well be mistakes. If you find any please do let me know!


	3. Rocks

"Come, we cannot linger here any longer." It was Gandalf who had stood to the side for the whole debacle. "We must keep moving. There is still another day ahead of us." His words seemed to encourage the others but it pained her to hear them. She doubted she would ever go into another cave after they were out.

Her headlamp was back on her helmet almost as soon as Gimli handed it to her. She made sure to tighten it so that it would not go flying off. Asha would not be happy if she hurt herself because of a loose helmet lamp.

Asha, she must have been so worried. Her friends must have been worrying themselves sick. Nancy had been gone for close to four days. Nothing like that had ever happened to their group before. They had encountered the odd wound and once Ella broke her ankle on a climb, but that was it. No one had ever been separated and least of all for such a long period of time.

A rescue party had already been sent, she was sure of it. She knew her friends hadn't given up yet. If she knew them they would keep going until they found her or at least her body. She just hoped that she would be able to get back to them soon.

Silence once again consumed the group. Nancy wondered how they could stand to talk so little. When they did speak it was in hushed voices. Sometimes they would look at her and she knew it was herself they were talking about, but most often they would look out around them. It seemed that the only one who actually knew where they were going was Gandalf.

"So, do ya have any other things like that there blub?" Pippin questioned looking up at her helmet in wonder. It took her a moment to realize he meant the bulb in her helmet or that Gandalf had called it the same thing. Snorting Nancy shook her head. It was an honest mistake, but a funny one.

"I have a few things like it, though I think that is the thing you would like the most." She had two more flashlights, but those were just regular ones. Maybe her watch would interest him? Her heat packs or even her duck tape? She was unsure of what would interest him. Her camera would be a good one.

Pippin and Merry were asking her non-stop about the light and how it worked. She tried to explain the best she could, but she wasn't too good at science and felt like her explanation was severely lacking. Honestly, she had more than likely got something wrong in her explanation. They would never know that though.

"Let me risk a little more light." She could hardly hear Gandalf whisper as he went down what appeared to be a short flight of stairs. When he arrived at ground level and raised his stick and with it brightened the light. "Behold the great realm of the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf." His voice awed as he looked around.

Gaze rising Nancy could understand his awe. The ceiling was high as a skyscraper and the pillars supporting it were thick as a redwood. The pillars sprawled further than the light allowed to be seen. The pillars dwarfed the group and gave one a feeling of inadequacy of being so small in such a large scheme.

Her jaw dropped as she looked around her and she knew the others were also amazed by the sight. She could hear Sam murmuring about an eye-opener. Gimli seemed especially chuffed about the glorious sight around them. It seemed akin to the pride one feels in their hometown sports team. Though she doubted her pride in the bulldogs rivaled Gimli's in the beauty of the 'city' they were in.

"Ah!" Gimli's sudden exclamation startled her from her reverie. He suddenly ran off to the right and when she looked over Nancy could see it, the light! They were close to the surface if light was entering. The rest of the group seemed to be on edge as they followed Gimli, but they all sped up to keep with him.

About to join the others Nancy could feel her feet practically screech to a halt. Scattered around the doorway that Gimli had entered were bodies. They were skeletons really, but the difference didn't matter. They were still dead men.

"Nancy, come on!" Aragorn ushered the girl into the room with a hushed yell. When she came close enough he grabbed her forearm and pulled her in. Finding no grip on the pebbled floor Nancy had almost fallen until a different hand pulled her up.

Looking over at Legolas she bid him a light thank you and tried her best to smile. He was handsome, too handsome even. It made her slightly uncomfortable. Like meeting a celebrity that was too far out of your league to even look at. No, it wasn't the time to think about that. She needed to get her priorities straight.

Moving away from the male she swept her eyes over the room they had entered. More bodies littered the floor. The room was a mess and in the center of it was what looked like a stone coffin and in front of that was Gimli.

The hunch of his shoulders had her realize that the worst had come for him. His family was gone. She didn't know much about Gimli, but from what she could tell he was not the type of man to cry or become emotional often.

"Here lies Balin son of Fundin Lord of Moria." She could see the anguish on Gimli's face and hear the sorrow in Gandalf's voice. "He is dead then." Her heart broke for the men that she hardly knew. "It's as I feared." Gandalf murmured holding his hat to his chest as he looked around the room.

Those last words sparked in Nancy's head. What had Gandalf feared? His eyes looked keen as he stared at the room around them. She had suspected that the mission they were on was dangerous as they were so hush-hush about whatever it was that they were doing.

What got her though was the fact that it didn't seem as though the men were too shocked that they were surrounded by dozens of skeletons. Nancy had been hoping that they were trying to pull a trick on her about the dead dwarves and the goblins.

She knew that they were real dead bodies though. She worked as a nurse thus was no stranger to dead bodies and they had a very distinct smell to them. It was a smell that was difficult to describe, but she would have recognized it anywhere. The scent was old as were the bodies, but it clung to them still.

Gimli's cries were loud as Gandalf grabbed a book from one of the skeletons. Nancy had a bad feeling, like the heebie-jeebies, but worse. Everything that was happening was reminding her of something out of an Indiana Jones movie. She was wondering when the giant rock was going to roll after them or if darts were going to shoot from the walls should they stepped on the wrong spot.

"We must move on. We cannot linger" Legolas was talking to Aragorn and Nancy was inclined to agree. Staying in a creepy tomb covered in dead bodies and cobwebs while Gandalf reads the story of how said dead bodies came to be was not high on her list of things to do.

"They are coming." As if there could have been a more ominous way of ending that reading. She knew it wasn't a story, but how the people around her died. That made it even worse, to be honest. Even Gandalf's voice brought chills to her skin.

No sooner had Gandalf stopped his words than a loud bang sounded throughout the room. Jumping in shock Nancy turned to find Pippin standing next to a skeleton missing its head. Based on the guilty look on Pippin's face there was no need to question what happened.

Just as her body started to relax from the shock, the skeleton creaked and the rest fell back along with a bucket chained to it. The clanging seemed to go on forever and right as she thought it was done it clanged once more. The sound echoed through the room and seemingly through her entire being.

The look Gandalf was giving Pippin was enough to curdle milk and she had to wonder if she had ever seen someone looks so disgusted with another person. She could not think of a time she had.

Pippin at least had the conscience to look abashed for what he had done. The real question Nancy had was why in the world would he be touching the body of a dead dwarf? They were all on edge, but it seemed he alone was exploring the cavern.

Every member of the small group seemed to hold their breath as the body followed its head. Then was the silence that followed in order to listen, listen for the drums that Gandalf spoke of. After a moment of silence, Nancy was able to let out a breath of relief as the silence continued.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf seethed glowering over Pippin. "Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!" Nancy tried to hold back her frown. Gandalf's words seemed too hard. Pippin had made a mistake, but nothing had come of it.

Or so she thought.

It came from out of nowhere like an echo of something she was hoping to never hear. The echo of drums. Drums from the deep. That is what Gandalf had called them. The echoes seemed to come more to life with each beat of the drums.

The sound seemed to be coming from the well that the body had just fallen into. Everyone was alert at the sound and looking around to try and discern where the sound was coming from. She tried to try and catch the other's eyes and see if they were hearing it too. They were all suddenly on edge as the echoes continued to draw near.

"Mr. Frodo!" Sam whispered harshly looking at the sword on Frodo's belt. It was glowing a pale blue. She was going to guess that it normally didn't do that. The noticing of Frodo's sword seemed to set everyone in motion.

"Orcs!" Legolas hissed looking at the others. Nancy just stood in her spot wondering what in the world an Orc was the others scrambled to get ready. Boromir ran to the door and the male was lucky. He narrowly avoided being shot with not one but two arrows.

"Get back!" Aragorn cried and she was pulled backward by Merry. "Stay close to Gandalf." The dark haired man ordered and she didn't have much of a choice when Gandalf corralled her back with the small men.

With shaking hands Nancy took off her pack and pulled out the two things she thought she could use. Her knife wasn't very large but would serve her better than nothing. Then she grabbed her mace once again. The can might not last very long, but it would take out anybody who came near to her. Then she placed the pack back on to make sure it wouldn't be trampled.

Double checking that the spray was unlocked and poised to spray at the first person to get near her. She watched Aragorn and Boromir close the doors. Boromir stared at the other saying something about a cave troll and while she had no clue what that was she knew it couldn't be anything good.

The three tall males stacked weapons in front of the door trying to board it up as the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder with the drums. The four small males huddled together and backed up as they watched the others.

When the three were finally done they stood back towards the tomb and drew their weapons. Gandalf too drew his sword which sparked the smaller four to as well. Nancy was just happy she had thought of getting out her things beforehand.

"Let them come!" Gimli growled standing upon the tomb posted and ready to fight whatever may come through the door. "There is one Dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!" It was a fleeting realization that he was not a short man, but rather a dwarf.

She dismissed the thought quickly as it didn't seem so important next to the fact that there seemed to be a large group of orcs, whatever they were, standing outside that door with a cave troll, whatever that was, ready to kill them.

Her hands shook as the door did. Nancy wondered how she could calm herself? She came up empty-handed. She knew from her self defense classes that getting scared and being jittery was no the way to win a fight. Then she wondered if her teachers had ever fought an angry mob of orcs before? She doubted it.

Chunks of wood were flying off the door and Nancy could feel tremors in her body as Legolas let an arrow fly towards the opening. His shot was rewarded with a shrill cry and the sword that was poking through disappearing.

The joy of Legolas hitting the creature morphed to fear almost as soon as it happened though. Before she could blink the spear that fell was replaced by two more. Aragorn shot his arrow as well and also seemed to hit something, but that one too was replaced.

Only seconds after the two creatures were shot the doors were knocked down. Large human-shaped creatures came through the opening. They might have looked like men, that was if you squinted with mud in your eyes. Truly those things, orcs, were disgusting and the smell they brought with them was vomit inducing.

Again the men let their arrows go and both hit their marks on the horrible creatures. They fell to the ground dead after letting out their final shrieks. Nancy's gut twisted at the sounds and the sight of the creatures falling dead.

Pupils shaking she looked to the fighting males. She wanted to help them, but she wasn't sure whether she would be a help or a hindrance. What if she got someone hurt or worse, killed? There were so many things that could go wrong if she tried to fight with them. She was convinced her joining in would be a horrible idea.

A loud yell drew Nancy's attention to Gandalf as he ran into the fray of the fight. The old wizard ran with the power and assurance of a man a third his age. It seemed that the fires in the four small males were ignited by his yell as they too ran into battle alongside the old wizard.

Standing alone and watching the others Nancy realized that the four small ones were no fighters but they were willing to lay down their lives to help the others. She could feel her rational mind wither as her heart knew what she needed to do. Tightening her grip on the knife and mace Nancy looked around and quickly she found a good spot to hide.

A column was leaning against the wall with crumbled rocks blocking one side and the other side opened enough for her to get her body in. It would be the perfect hiding spot for her as there was no other room and one was less likely to see it unless they were looking for it.

Folding up small Nancy was tucked tightly in watching the fighting continue on. Soon enough one of the orcs stumbled over looking for someone from the group she was with. Her hands were sweating and her breathing increased with each step the monster took towards her.

Its steps were uneven and the thing looked like it might collapse at any second. It must have been looking for an easy target. She would be the perfect one when it found her. Her breathing was as ragged as the steps that were drawing nearer to her.

Three feet. That was all that separated her from the orc. Taking a deep breath Nancy shot out of her hiding spot and fired her mace at the face of the thing. She was praying it worked on them the same way it worked on people.

Her prayers were answered when the creature screeched in pain dropping its weapons before it began to rub at its face to try and lessen the burning. While it was distracted Nancy took her chance and took a step closer before blindly launching her knife into the thing.

Unsure of what to do next Nancy tried pulling the knife out. Instead of coming out the knife seemed to be lodged in the creature's chest. Trying to twist it seemed to work. A loud grunt left her mouth as the knife came out quickly when she twisted.

Black blood spewed out of the knife wound and again Nancy could feel bile rising to her in into her mouth. The foul stench perforated the air around her only adding to the already horrendous scent in the chamber.

As if things could not have been more disgusting the blood from the orc spewed out of the thick neck in true horror movie fashion. The black liquid splashing onto her clothing and helmet thoroughly coating her in it.

The worst part was the three splashes that made it to her face and nearly caused her to faint. Blood was nothing to her, but orc blood was just a nasty thing that she wanted nowhere near her, least of all on her face.

Pulling her attention off of the nasty substance and back to the environment around her Nancy found another creature closing in on her. This one seemed far angrier than the last. He must have seen her kill his comrade. He was running at her wildly with an obvious intent to kill.

Raising her hand she maced this one too and to her luck, it was just as effective as the last time. Instead of stabbing aimlessly like the last one Nancy tried aiming. Her efforts were rewarded as she managed to hit it right below the neck, though she had been aiming for the center of the neck. The spot she actually hit seemed to work as well though.

A low thud and a light gust of air distracted her from the dead orc on her knife. Turning to find the source she found another orc right behind her. It had what she would have guessed was a shocked look on its face as it stared downwards.

Nancy's eyes traveled down to where the eyes of the orc were focused and saw that it was looking at an arrow protruding from its abdomen. Her own eyes widened as she looked up behind the beast and saw Legolas turning away another arrow already placed in his bow and launching it into an orc going for Merry and Pippin.

In shock, Nancy tried to gather her wits and get back into the fight. She did her best to ignore the huge monster that had broken through the doors and tried to ignore all the yelling. Nancy wanted to stay alive and hoped that the men she had come with would also stay alive.

From the corner of her eye, she could see the monster raising its foot up ready to squash little Sam. He was too far from her and she doubted she would make it. Still, she tried to get over to him all thoughts of saving herself flying out the window.

Just as Nancy had realized she would never make it to Sam in time to save him the troll was suddenly jerked backward. Looking around the troll Nancy found Aragorn and Boromir behind the giant thing. They were pulling it back by the chain around its neck.

With renewed vigor, she flitted over to where Sam laid on the ground in shock. He was obviously surprised to still be alive. There was no time to be laying around though. They were like sitting ducks waiting for the next orc to come for them.

"Let's go! Come on Sam, we gotta move!" She hissed trying to pull the small man to his large feet. He stumbled on his first few steps but regained his footing quick enough, "Faster now, faster!" Nancy gave Sam a push to get him going. He stumbled for a moment but regained his footing before doing as she said.

Checking on the other two men, Nancy saw Aragorn duck from the trolls wrath and let go of the chain while Boromir was not so lucky. The latter was swung by the troll where he was thrown into a wall.

To her horror, one of the smaller monsters was ready when Boromir landed and was about to strike the fallen man. Instead of hitting him the orc itself was hit with a sword to the chest courtesy of Aragorn.

The things the men around her were able to do were beyond her imagination. Aragorn had thrown the sword that hit the creature with such deadly precision it seemed unreal. Nancy could hardly see Gimli among the orcs surrounding them. On the rare occasion that she did catch sight of him, he was lugging his axe from orc to orc.

Legolas was another story. He seemed like a spider monkey jumping from monster to monster without a break. Even the men who seemed normal were oddly strong. They might as well have been superhuman.

Dragging Sam away from the chaos, Nancy ran towards the pillars where she felt they would be the safest. It had worked before so she was hoping that it would again. As they were running Sam whipped something off of his backpack and started using it to bat away the orcs that were coming for them.

A frypan. Sam was using an actual frypan. She had to wonder if he was some kind of Disney princess? Like Rapunzel? To his credit, the frypan actually seemed to be doing some damage. It must have been good quality to damage so many skulls. Maybe the two blondes had some crazy good kitchenware, but it was comical watching him hit orcs with a frypan.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" Sam cheered looking up the stairs they were climbing and hitting another orc. He seemed to still have energy though she did not understand how he could as she felt absolutely ragged.

Gasping for air Nancy looked up and over to where the troll was attacking. To her horror, she found that the beast was attacking the other three small men. Not only that but it seemed to have an eye on Frodo who had been separated from the other two.

Frodo cried for Aragorn who ran to his rescue. The tall man deflected the attacks of the troll, but it was plain to see that Aragorn was exhausted. It was easy for the troll to overpower him and toss Aragorn aside like a rag doll. His body hit the wall with a loud thump which seemed to signal his consciousness leaving him.

Nancy found her heart shuddering as she watched Frodo being ruthlessly attacked by the troll. She thought it couldn't get any worse and then the troll had Frodo's small form cornered and raised the spear in its hand to strike Frodo down.

Silence seemed to steal the chamber for a split second as she watched pain engulf Frodo's expression. Nancy could hear the cries of the others. Some were battle cries while others were pleas of the small male's name.

Merry and Pippin jumped in to attack the troll stabbing at the monster's hard skin with their swords. Sam and Nancy both fought to make their way to Frodo. Nancy knew what needed to be done right away for Frodo. She may not have been a doctor, but she could at least give him first aid until they made it out of the mines.

As the others took down the troll Aragorn crawled his way to Frodo. Sam slowed down, but Nancy could only speed up as she heard the troll fall to the ground a few feet away. Pressure was the first thing he would need if they took the spear out of him.

When Aragorn flipped Frodo over Nancy could feel her feet stop just as Sam's had. Frodo was breathing and awake! She was unsure how it was possible, but she was not about to question such a miracle.

"He's alive." Sam breathed out looking over to Gandalf who seemed to slouch in relief at Frodo's survival. Even Nancy could feel her heart slow as Frodo muffled a weak assurance of his survival.

"You should be dead." Aragorn was as stunned as the rest of them. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar." And he was not wrong. The spear was long and sharp. Partner that with the strength of the troll and death was assured.

Gandalf walked closer to the three kneeling on the ground a twinkle in his eye as he stared down at Frodo. As she stepped closer Nancy noticed something strange about Frodo. There was no blood anywhere on him.

"I think there is more to this outfit than meets the eye." The old man spoke looking at Frodo's chest. Frodo also looked down at his chest before opening it the slightest bit to show his metal undershirt.

Somewhere behind them, she could hear Gimli murmur a single word. She was unsure of what that word was, but she was sure he was referring to the metal shirt that Frodo was wearing. What she didn't understand was how such a flimsy piece of metal was supposed to have stopped such a large weapon.

From a doorway behind them, she could hear clanging and clatter from metal on metal. And just like that, it seemed like their break was over. Gandalf rushed them all to run. He said they were to run to the bring of khazad dum.

It seemed like for every step they took the orcs took two more. No matter how fast they were they could not run from the feet that were gaining on them. From the sounds of the footsteps, it was an army and soon she would figure out how right she was. When they stopped, the orcs swarmed.

Again, they were surrounded by orcs. This time though she had no hope. Around them were thousands of orcs. Even with how skilled the men around her were she knew that they were no match for the number of enemies that they would be facing.

Feeling herself be pushed back Nancy looked at Legolas who was pushing her back. His gaze was trained on the enemy around them. His look was one of a calculating mind, at least he had not lost hope.

A deep roar resonated throughout the entirety of the mines, or so it seemed. It seemed more like something one felt rather than something one heard. No matter which it was it had a single effect. The ability to chill a person to their very core.

Like a switch, the orcs began to scuttle away. They not only ran along the ground but also up the pillars and walls of the cavern they were in. It was obvious from their movements that the orcs were scared beyond belief, though she had no clue what it was making such horrifying sounds.

In a flash, they were gone, but the air was not silent. No, the air seemed to vibrate as the horrible growling seemed to grow closer and closer. Her body seemed to move on its own as she came closer to the men surrounding her.

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir questioned his eyes trained on the glowing red light at the end of the columns. His question seemed to be what was on everyone's mind and they all had one person that they wanted to ask this question of.

"Balrog." Nancy had never heard the word before, but the way that Gandalf said it made a pit form in her stomach. It seemed as though he was telling them of their fates with that one word. "A demon of the ancient world." A demon, she knew what that was. Of course, Nancy would end up in a world with demons.

There was no denying the fear that the sound of its roar instilled in her. Nor could she say that the others looked unshaken. Even Gimli who had seemed to revel in the battle they had just had seemed afraid of what was coming for them.

"This foe is beyond any of you," Gandalf warned them before turning to them. "Run!" he yelled leading them in the opposite way of the new monster that was coming for them. They didn't waste a second in following the old wizard.

Her feet were aching. They hadn't taken a break for hours and she was in no way prepared for what they were doing. No matter how her feet ached or how her body cried for a break she would run. She quite liked living after all.

A tiny doorway seemed to be their escape route as both Aragorn and Gandalf stopped to usher them through to the other side. She could see Boromir nearly fall of the ledge of the staircase they were running down. The only thing stopping him from going over was Legolas.

Both men fell backward as Legolas was only just able to pull Boromir from his death. When she reached the edge she had to hold her breath. The fall was so far and the bottom of the drop seemed to be lit by the fires of hell themselves.

The heat seemed to lick at her skin as they ran down the crumbling and narrow staircase. The smaller males were having a harder time running on the steps with their large feet. They were doing well to keep up with the rest of the group along the steep decline of the staircase though. She had to commend them on their efforts.

"Do as I say!" Gandalf had been speaking to Aragorn before pushing the man to begin their journey again. "Swords are of no more use here." He warned them as their feet began to thunder further and further down the stairs.

It wasn't long before the group stopped and Nancy had to peak around the shoulders and head of the others to see why. The bridge had collapsed. There was a gap between them and the other side of the bridge.

With a grace that Nancy only wished she had Legolas leaped from their side to the other, landing without a hitch. He then urged Gandalf over and helped right the old man when he landed. Nancy was beginning to think he was a using a spell or something of that sort to move. He was much too agile for the age that he appeared to be.

Before any of them could move even an inch a whistling sound tore through the air. Arrows were bouncing off of the stairs around them after missing them by only inches. They were coming from all along their left side.

The enemy was too far away to kill with swords but the men with their own arrows were taking down as many as they could. It would have to do until they could get out. Still, Nancy tried to shrink as small as she could, but with how tiny some of the men were she still stood out.

In the meantime, Boromir took Merry and Pippin across with him. After which, Aragorn threw Sam across to be caught. Nancy was shocked at how easily Aragorn seem to throw the man. While Sam was not tall he wasn't exactly thin.

"Nobody tosses a dwarf." Gimli held up a hand to stop the dark haired man from the mission he was on. Nancy wondered if he would be able to jump all the way across. The gap had widened when Boromir leaped and was a mind-boggling length across.

It seemed she was right to worry too as the only way he made it safely was by having his beard grabbed. He seemed to like that even less than he liked being thrown. His eyes were wide under furrowed brows as he flailed his arms to find his balance.

"Not the beard, not the beard!" Gimli hollered as Legolas pulled the dwarf up by his red locks. He huffed loudly when he finally got his footing back and Nancy would have normally chuckled at something as ridiculous as him being upset about having his beard touched, but she didn't know the man nor his culture and the situation they were in didn't exactly call for laughter.

When it came time for Nancy to jump she could feel the nerves turning her stomach into a knot. The distance had widened even further when Gimli jumped. She looked down for a split second to see the bright fire below them and back to the fire that was chasing them.

Nancy looked to the others who had already jumped. They all encouraged her to take the leap across the fiery chasm. Legolas held out his arms toward her his gaze intent to get all of the group over the jump. It seemed she had only one choice.

"Belay on!"

For a moment she had thought she was falling and her heart stopped. Then, like a miracle, a pair of warm hands were holding onto her. She opened her eyes in shock having not realized she had ever closed them.

Blue eyes and a pale face which were haloed in light blonde hair greeted her. Legolas had caught her. Nancy could feel her breath leave her in a whoosh. Her feet were on the ground again and she was going to live. She hoped.

Nancy was only able to take three steps before her knees nearly buckled. She was only righted when Gimli reached a hand out and helped her find her balance once again. His beard tickled her arm as he questioned her to find out if she was alright. It was sweet, but at the moment she was anything but alright.

Hearing a thunderous roar and the crashing of stone falling Nancy turned to see that the light was even brighter than the last time she had looked. Not only that, but the distance between their group and the last two on the other side had grown even more. The hope in Nancy's chest was dwindling.

How were they meant to make it across such a distance? Aragorn would have to jump with Frodo as there was no way that Frodo would make it on his own. They could no longer go back either as a large piece of stone fell from the ceiling and destroyed their way back. Their options were dwindling before her eyes.

Before she could worry anymore a grinding sound began and the section of the stairs that Aragorn and Frodo were on began to wobble. Hands flying to her mouth Nancy could only stare in shock as the two men swayed on what had become a pillar of stairs. She dare not turn away as though her gaze were the only thing keeping them up.

In what Nancy could only describe as true Indiana Jones style, Aragorn and Frodo manipulated the stairs with the weight of their bodies. They were able to rock the pillar of stairs so that it came back and crashed into their side.

As they were coming in for impact Nancy held her arms out so that she could at least try and catch Frodo who was closer to her. When the two pieces of stone collided both males flew towards them. Nancy reached out and wrapped her arms around Frodo, pulling him close to her and out of the way of danger. Her feet staggered as he crashed into her, but she was able to stay upright and keep him up as well.

With less than a second to spare too, as the pillar went crumbling down nearly as soon as their feet were gone. The group wasted not a second more and began running again as they were whole.

Down and down they went. It seemed that they were going into the belly of the mines around them. The air was growing hotter the closer they ran to the flames. She refused to look down. She felt that if she did then she may just fall over the side of the stairs she ran on.

"Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf cried when they made it the level of the bridge they sought. It seemed they would soon be out. They would get away from the orcs and other monsters that were chasing them soon.

Nancy could feel her adrenalin kick in at the thought of freedom. Her feet flew just as Gandalf told them to. She chased after the Frodo and Sam who led the group. Aragorn was beside her just behind and looking back every few seconds. His sword was drawn and he looked ready for a fight even as they ran.

Looking back to check on those who were behind her Nancy let out a choked shriek at what she saw behind her. They were being hunted by an actual demon. A demon made out of darkness, the sort of darkness that you only experience in the worst of nightmares. It seemed to be filled with fire and smoke and with hate and evil.

The group went into a frenzy at the sight of the demon that was chasing them. Their feet seemed to move even faster than previously, something she had not thought possible. Not a single one of them could look back after one glance of the monster on their heels.

Finally, they had come to the bridge. If one could call it that. The bridge was hardly wide enough for one person to go across at a time and only that much. Nancy pushed Merry and Pippin to go ahead of her and followed close behind the two. She prayed that she wouldn't lose her balance and fall. That would be just her luck.

When they made it across Nancy could see the doorway that would lead them out of the dark hell they were trapped in. She could feel a smile on her face as she pushed the smaller two to continue on their ascent.

"You cannot pass!" The words caused Nancy to whip back and look once more for Gandalf only to find him still on the bridge. She could hear Frodo cry out for Gandalf from somewhere behind her.

The creature before Gandalf stood and flapped its ungodly large bat-like wings before lighting itself ablaze from the inside out. The demon was like a creature made out of nightmares.

"I am the servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." The old man rose his walking stick as the light on the end seemed to brighten further as he held his sword pointed at the beast. "The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udun!" Gandalf cried his body poised for battle against the demon.

The beast that Gandalf was faced against pulled a sword of flames from its side and brought it down upon him. To her shock, the light enveloping Gandalf was not breached by the demon's sword. Instead, the swords seemed to break into sparks and fall away.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Aragorn taking a few steps closer to where Gandalf was. She wondered if there was anything he could do for the old wizard if there was anything any of them could do for him? He was so far away from them and Gandalf had said himself that swords weren't any use anymore.

The beast screamed at Gandalf in fury at its sword shattering. She only hoped that he would be able to beat the demon. He seemed rather sure of himself as he told it to go back to the shadows it came from.

Gandalf's words fell on deaf ears as the monster stepped closer and conjured a whip where its sword once was. It gave the whip a single lash to the side. That lash alone sounded like thunder.

"You shall not pass!" Gandalf proclaimed to the beast. He raised his arms above his head before bringing them back down and slamming his staff against the bridge at his feet. The stone below him began to crumble.

As the bridge fell so did the monster and it let out a mighty cry as it went down. She could have clapped out of joy for seeing the monster fall. Nancy didn't think defeating such a thing was possible in real life, then again many things over the past few days did not seem like real life.

Her happiness was cut short as the whip of fire came back from the depths and caught onto Gandalf. The beast was not done with him yet. Before one could blink Gandalf had fallen onto his stomach and then he was only hanging by his fingers. His face was a mask of shock as she was sure all of their faces were.

Gandalf tried to tell them something, but she was unable to understand what he was saying. She tried to hear him, but could not. Nancy could only hear the cries. The cries of the others around her as the whip wrapped around Gandalf's ankle and drug him down into the dark fiery chasm with the demon. Her own cries echoed in her ears as she watched the old wizard being dragged to what seems to be hell.

Her eyes were glued to where Gandalf fell. Her feet stumbled towards the edge. A gentle, but strong pair of hands tried to pull her away and when that didn't work she was hefted up and carried away from the edge. She tried to reach out. Her hand was grasping at air as she tried to pull away from the one holding her.

Who was going to pull Gandalf up?

* * *

AN: Thank you to those of you who reviewed, favorited, or followed the story! I am going to be trying to upload more often! I'm glad you used to be here and are here again ha ha!


	4. Slack

Suddenly, the air was clear and fresh. It was crisp and cold. It was so different from the damp and musky, but warm hell they were just in. They had made it out and yet, they had not all made it.

Her feet were again below her. Disoriented, Nancy looked down to find a light coating of snow beneath her feet. The ground below that was rock and rubble. When had they made it so far out? How had she even made it out?

A pair of large yet thin boots were next to her small and sturdy ones. She knew there was only one member of the group that would have worn such shoes. It seemed the blonde haired man had been the one to carry her out.

Nancy could not look up at the male. No. She was far too embarrassed. She had reacted so viscerally to the death of the old wizard although she barely knew him. Nancy was sure that all of the others knew him far better than she. Yet her reaction was so much more dramatic than theirs.

There was no need to ponder why. Nancy knew the feelings she was having all too well. She felt them every time a patient she was working with died or when she was unable to help someone. She felt defeated and hopeless.

Her life was owed to Gandalf. She was sure that if he was not there then her first meeting with the group would have been far less amicable than it was. He was the one who convinced the others not to kill or leave her.

Not only that, but he seemed like a truly good person. She always cried when a good person died. Whether it be a patient, someone she knew, or even just a story online. A good man's death was something that tears were meant for.

Again, Nancy could feel more tears well in her eyes. She cried not only for Gandalf but for herself. Her future without Gandalf was questionable. Even if they allowed her to continue on with them she was not sure how they felt about her.

One thing Nancy knew was that she was no longer in her world. Wizards and dwarves were things of children tales. Demons and goblins were things of lore. They were not real in her world, but in the world she had fallen into they were more than real. She had no choice other than to try and stay with the men who had found her.

Wiping her eyes Nancy tried to stop the swell of emotions rising in her chest. She had to help the others get themselves together, they would need comfort. Gathering her courage Nancy looked up to Legolas. He was turned away staring off into the distance at something she could not see. His eyes glazed over as he stared sightlessly out beyond them.

The look of confusion on Legolas' face told her he had not experienced much death in his days. She had seen the look on his face often on the those of the family members who had just lost a loved one. Most of the others had similar looks.

Unsure of what to do as she pulled herself back together Nancy did the only thing she could do. She helped in the only way she could think to. Nancy gently raised a hand and set it on Legolas' back. The male jumped slightly at the touch.

His gaze turned to her and their eyes met. His eyes held questions and confusion mingled with hurt as he stared down at her. She didn't think she had any answers, but she took a step closer to him and gently set her other hand on his arm.

Watching her unsteadily Legolas raised a single hand and laid it over her own on his arm. His gaze was directed straight into her eyes as the stood silently willing the other to feel the comfort they offered.

"Legolas get them up!" Boromir tried to tell Aragorn to hold off, to let them have a moment to grieve. "By nightfall, these hills will be swarming with orcs!" While she agreed that they needed a moment she knew they were in no shape to be fighting anymore.

After a short nod to Nancy, Legolas was quick to do as Aragorn had told him. He went first to Merry and helped the small man to his feet. Wanting to help as well Nancy went to Pippin who was sat next to Merry.

"Come on Pip. Time to go." She coaxed the small male who stared at her in despair. She knew his pain, perhaps not as deep as he felt it, but she knew it. "We can't stay here, we have to go." She grabbed his small hand and pulled the male to his feet. She was relieved when he was easy to move, he seems to be on autopilot.

This time Aragorn led their slightly smaller group down and over rocks and hills. He was apparently leading them to a wood. She had never heard of Lothlorien before, that was what he had called the woods, but she hoped they would find safety there.

She was entering a new place, again, a place she had no knowledge of. It was a scary cycle she was entering. She kept ending up in places that she had no knowledge of and being thrown into situations she knew not how to deal with. She only hoped the next place wouldn't be so bad.

Fatigued Nancy could feel her body beginning to slow as they pressed on. She was in good shape, she had done marathons and caved often. Even with all of that, she could feel her body giving in. She couldn't let that happen though. She needed to keep going. She needed to live.

They had been running for the entire day. Not only were they running, but they were fighting to keep on going. Their adrenaline was peaking and crashing, over and over. Everyone was getting tired and she could see it as the pace of their group slowed.

Around them, the light faded as the sun set beyond the mountains behind them. The group had just passed a shallow stream and entered into a small thicket of trees when Aragorn held up a fist. His eyes drifted around the trees before them.

Nancy could feel her body shaking as they stopped. Her body needed to keep moving, but she knew what Aragorn's gesture meant. She needed to stay as still as possible. He was probably looking for orcs or whatever other monsters were looking for them.

Turning around to look at the group Aragorn nodded and motioned for them to come closer to him. It seemed he had decided on something. The soft crunching of leaves beneath their feet was the only sound one could hear as they stepped closer to Aragorn.

"Forgive me Frodo, Sam," Aragorn spoke looking over the two tiny men. The pair stared up in muted confusion as he knelt near to them. "You are both hurt and yet we have traveled for so long without a rest. Just a little further and we will take a break. Not a long one for too many an enemy follow in our footsteps." His words were meant for Frodo and Sam, yet Nancy could feel her heart shake with gladness.

They were following a stream, apparently, the one that Gandalf had intended for the company to follow. The small and icy cold body of water merged and met another. It was in a little clearing sat at the meeting of the two rivers that Aragorn decided they were to make camp.

It was hardly even afternoon and yet the sun was setting. Nancy could feel her body slacken as the moments progressed. Not only was her body tired, but her mind as well. Never had she imagined herself to be in such position as the one he found herself in and it seemed that the events of the past few days were finally catching up to her.

"Let me have a good look at you." Aragorn was coxing Frodo over to him slowly but surely. "You must be looked at, that looks like a nasty wound in need of treatment." Hearing Aragorn's words Nancy popped her head up to look over at the pair.

Getting a good look at Frodo, Nancy was shocked. As though on autopilot her body rose and she made her way over to Frodo and Aragorn. Her pack slid from her shoulders as she kneeled between the two confused males. The clip was quickly unhooked and Nancy rolled out her pack and grabbed her first aid kit.

Surgical gloves were slipped over her hands before anything else. Nancy had a feeling that Frodo was not a human and was unsure if it would be unsafe to get his blood on her. Then she took a disinfectant wipe and started to gently dab it against Frodo's wounds.

A shocked yelp alerted Nancy to Frodo's pain as he attempted to rip himself from her grasp. Her hand tightened around him as she made a hushing sound and pulled him closer. Again, her hand went back to wiping at the cuts that littered the small male.

Her body wanted to shut down. It had been so long since she had rested and even longer since she had eaten. Nancy needed to rest, but she knew that taking care of others was more important. It always had been. Her life revolved around helping people and she was no stranger to long shifts doing so. All Nancy needed to do was to think of Frodo and Sam. They needed her help.

Frodo's protests dimmed as she continued to ignore him. He settled for pained mewling and his hands that were switching between clawing her arm and the ground before he settled for gripping at his legs. His wide blue eyes stared up at her.

"What is that? It hurts terribly." His voice was nothing more than a whisper as he stared up at her earnestly. "Aragorn says that I was not poised and yet that feels more like poison than anything else I have felt today." Frodo's eyes moved from Nancy's face to her hands that continued to clean his skin.

"This my dear little friend is antiseptic." Despite herself, Nancy could feel a shadow of a smile crossing her lips. "I can assure you it is not poison. Actually, it is meant to keep you from getting sick from your wounds." She was unsure of how to explain such a thing to someone whose knowledge of medicine was so medieval.

Once she finished with wiping Frodo's wound down, she applied a thick piece of gauze over the largest wound and secured it with one of her wrap bandages. The other wounds she gave a look over but found none that needed more than a small regular bandage. Luckily his shirt, mithril they called it, had saved him from worse, far worse.

Next, Nancy turned her attention to Sam. She had been right there with him during the battle and yet she had not seen him take on the larger wounds he bore at that moment. None of them had escaped from the cave unharmed, but Sam and Frodo seemed to have received the worst of the injuries.

Mind racing a mile a minute as she worked over Sam's wounds, Nancy wondered whether or not to take care of the other injuries. Her pondering was answered in the form of Aragorn taking charge of the other boys.

In the moment Nancy finished with Sam her feet carried her to where she had originally been. The freshly closed bag was on the ground and her head resting upon it as she laid. Her body was bone tired and she had no clue how long they would break for. Nancy planned to rest as much as she could.

What seemed like only a second later, the girl's small shoulders were shaken as she was woken from her dreams. Her dreams of home. It was the rather cautious face of Aragorn that welcomed her to the waking world.

"Time to go?" She questioned looking up at his face through the oily black hair that moved in the gentle breeze that the late afternoon offered. A short nod and a hand were her answers. Yawning loudly Nancy took the pale limb and was nearly lifted to her feet.

An inkling of surprise found its way over her. Though, she wondered why. Nancy was thin, but muscle weighed her down. The ease with which he lifted her made it obvious that though he was tired he still had some strength left in him.

Everyone was busy making it look as though they had never been there. Nancy joined in and cleaned up her supplies from caring for the two small men. The both of them seemed to be in better spirits. The sight of them feeling better brought some of her own energy back.

Digging through her bag Nancy pulled out a single granola bar. She made quick work over opening it and scoffing down the entire thing. It was her favorite brand, Kind, and they were rather small bars to begin with so she didn't feel too bad eating it alone and so quickly. She could tell the others ate without her. Not that she could blame them, she was sure they tried to wake her up, but she was notoriously hard to wake. How Aragorn did was a mystery.

"I'm glad you have some food, but please also eat this too." It was Sam who held out his hand to her. In it was a leaf with a few berries, a bit shriveled and not too appetizing. "I know its not much, but hardly anything edible was around." He was obviously embarrassed as he looked down at the meager food in his hand.

"No, thank you, Sam!" Reaching out Nancy scooped the leaf from the little man's hand and into her own. She felt so rude for making him uncomfortable. He was sweet enough to save her food, any food at all, and she reacted so ungratefully and pulled faces at his thoughtfulness. "That's very kind of you to save those for me!" Her heart swelled at the blondes kind action.

At her words, Sam's face flushed and he nodded quickly a small shy smile on his face. Nancy made a show of eating all of the berries the sweet man had given her. She was surprised to find that they were actually quite sweet and she enjoyed the flavors while they lasted. After two bites the berries were gone and the group was ready to continue on.

The short break, it seemed, had replenished the energies of the men around her. They ran for hours and only had a single break. Yet, through all of the running the company was taking part in they did not complain. She could see the sadness and fatigue that the men around her were feeling, but they just kept pushing through it.

Deep into the night and the group was still moving. They had slowed to a quick walk so as to not wear themselves down too far. Keeping alert Nancy turned her head to and fro. She kept her eyes open for the men and for dangers that may approach them.

"Soon we will reach Lothlorien," At Aragorn's words, Nancy could hear the grumbles of Gimli and Boromir. "But tonight we will not push any further in. We will make camp by the river and in the morning we should hope to find ourselves welcomed." Without another word he led them over to the river, he had spoken of.

When they reached the river Legolas told the group it was called Nimrodel, an interesting name to be sure, and suggested they cross the waters. It was cold, but not too deep. Nancy found it refreshing to feel the gentle current splashing against her legs, barely reaching her calves.

As they made camp she threw her body to the forest floor. Her pack was once again used as a cushion. The sleek black material was comfortable enough and her body was tired enough. Nancy watched the males set up the small fire pit that would give them heat for the night. She rushed back to her pack and dug through the contents with the others watching her at the sudden actions. A triumphant gasp left her lips as she lifted the small object of her search in her hands.

Turning back to the ready fire pit, Nancy put out her hand to stop Aragorn. She knew she wouldn't be of much help, but at least she could help with such small things. Leaning over the small fire Nancy lit the lighter in her hand and set the twigs and branches ablaze.

Gasps were heard all around her. Just like that the weariness of the group was lifted, still surrounding them, but less so than it had moments before. The wonder in their eyes was obvious. Immediately, questions were launched and though their volume was low Nancy could hear the excitement and hesitation in their words.

Happy to lighten the mood, Nancy explained the lighter and demonstrated how to use it once. The men were in awe of the tiny contraption. They had flint and wood to make fires so it wasn't too shocking how impressed they were. Though, she did feel bad when she had to tell them they couldn't try it out. She was wanting to save up on her supplies.

Thinking back on her supplies she decided to do an inventory of everything she had. First were her medical supplies. She had just used them early that day, but she still wanted to look over them. Better to be safe than sorry.

She had plenty of bandages, tape, some medicines, and other necessary items. Nothing was broken or ripped which was what she was really worried about. Her rope was still twined. Her clothes were compressed in a bag and didn't look affected so she left them. Nancy only had a few other knick-knacks that were left mostly untouched. It was good to know she still had things to rely on.

As the group sat in what Aragorn said was safety, Legolas began to speak. He told them stories of Lothlorien that his people knew. From what he spoke, Lothlorien seemed a haven or perhaps a paradise. Nancy could only hope that what the blond spoke of was true.

Her attention was split between listening to his stories and rifling through her bag. She pulled out her poncho, the only clothing not bundled. She would use it as both a bed and a blanket for the evening.

When the stories ran out and the silence began Nancy turned to look to the others of the group. They were all as tired and weary as herself. She could see Aragorn and Boromir arguing ever so lightly. Sam and Frodo were listening to Merry and Pippin as they joked. Gimli and Legolas both sat by themselves in what appeared to be contemplative silence.

The very last things she looked at in her pack brought a small smile to her face. The granola bars that she had left. She knew that they would be unable to heat or make any food since searching in the dark would be hard.

Her fingers wrapped around the slim bars to pull them out of the bag. She had eight left. Nancy knew her body had little to no energy left, but she had made due before, she could handle it for just a little longer. She also felt she needed to repay their kindness in feeding her earlier that afternoon after she had only looked out for herself.

"I have some food." Nancy's words seemed to draw the attention of everyone in the group. "It isn't much really, but its food. And it doesn't need to be heated or anything." She offered one to each member of the group.

Nancy watched as all of the men stared down at the granola bars in their hands. She was wondering why they didn't eat when she realized her mistake. They didn't know how to open the packaging.

Motioning for Sam to hand her his wrapper she grabbed the edges and pulled them apart. Then she rolled down the wrapper and held it up for Sam to try a bite of the bar. He took a hesitant bite that was so tiny she wondered if he could taste anything.

Apparently, he could. The second after his first bite Sam took another and another until it was completely gone. Once Sam was able to finish his and had obviously liked it the others in the group also ate their bars. A few struggled with the wrappers, but she was able to help them easily.

To her happiness, the group enjoyed the bars that she had given them. They seem to relish in the taste of them. Maybe it was the chocolate or maybe it was the fact that they hadn't eaten properly in at least a day.

Sitting back Nancy smiled and reclined against her pack. The air was cold around them, but not too much so. She could stand the chill around them as her hot packs seemed to still be heated. Had they really only been in the caves for such a short time? It felt like days, but her packs only lasted twelve hours and they were still warm. They were the second pair she had opened in hopes of staying warm. She only had one left too.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and retire for the night the sound of a wrapper crinkling near to her caught Nancy's attention. Turning her head to the sound she found Legolas holding the slim package out to her.

"I am not in need of sustenance at the moment, at least, not as direly so as yourself." He told her upon seeing the confused gleam in her eyes. "You eat this for now and I will find my fill when I am able." His voice was gentle as he looked at her his eyes filled with worry.

Looking at the leggy blonde over Nancy had to admit that he looked far better than any of them. He hardly seemed tired and was not nearly as dirty as the rest of their little group. Still, she felt awkward taking back the food she had given him.

Her discomfort must have been too obvious as Legolas set the granola on the ground next to her. When their eyes met again he gave her a small smile. She could tell he was trying to make her feel better, but she could see the sadness and worry behind his gaze. They were both worried, for each other and for the group.

Nodding ever so slightly Nancy took the bar and unwrapped it. She tried to pace herself, to limit the worry she would cause, but her body acted without her permission and the bar was gone within a moment.

"Thank you." Her words were hushed, but she knew he would hear them. The air around them was silent as the rest of their group mates were silently doing their own things. Trying to comfort their friend or family member. Or sitting by themselves deep in thought. "Thank you." She repeated and she meant it for more than just the granola bar.

Legolas laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and gave her a single nod before standing and walking away from her and over to Aragorn. The two men stood side by side and made their way away from the rest of the group.

Sighing lightly Nancy looked down at the thin plastic in her hand. Her thumb ran over the label, 'Kind' before her fist clenched the wrapper tightly and shoved it deep into her pocket. It was silly, but she wanted to keep anything that reminded her of home, no matter how insignificant.

Alone again, Nancy laid down and buried her hands deep into her pockets clenching at the hot packs praying for them to keep her warm as she tried to sleep. The poncho was slick and not made for keeping one warm, but rather for keeping them dry. Still, it kept the cold from the ground away from her torso and that would do for the night.

Without her permission, Nancy's body shuddered. She wasn't cold, not physically. Her heart though was cold and scared. She was in a land that was not her own and she had just witnessed someone she knew die.

All Nancy wanted was to go home. She wanted to be in her own bed and to have a warm body against her own. She wanted to snuggle with her dog. He had a checkup tomorrow and she didn't think she would ever be able to get back to take him.

Everything seemed so surreal to her. People dreamed of living in an alternative world, one that was different from their own. Maybe they dreamed of living in the past, or in better times. At the moment, Nancy just wanted to go back to her own world, but there was no way for Nancy to know how or even if she could get back home.

Body exhausted and mind ragged, it took Nancy only a few moments to fall into a deep sleep. Under any other circumstances she would have been warier of a group of males she didn't know, but after what they had just gone through she didn't think that they would be doing anything to her in her sleep.

Her dreams were filled with the memories of her home. She dreamt of her friends and family, of her significant other. Chasing waterfalls and hidden grottos with her dog Sultan. Finding underground worlds with her friends. Nancy dreamed of beautiful and happy things.

Those bright and smiling faces turned into grey scowling and screaming ones. The people she loved turned into the monster and demons that had chased her. The fun caving she dreamed of was twisted to force her into watching Gandalf being pulled away again. Her beautiful dreams turned into a frightening nightmare.

Gasping Nancy shot up from her reclined position on the ground. Her hand clutched at her chest to make sure her heart was still beating, and it was. It thundered in her chest and pounded in her ears. After those dreams though, she had to be sure.

The others were mostly awake. Hearing a throat clear Nancy looked over to find Merry staring at her with wide eyes. His eyes glanced all about her and Nancy wondered for only a moment why they did so before it hit her. Her face was wet, she had been crying.

"Is it time to go again?" She questioned wiping at her cheeks and trying to act as nonchalant as possible. Merry stared for a moment longer before shaking his head and holding out a small bowl for her.

"We figured ya could use some breakfast in your belly." Merry wore a bright smile on his face. It was the infectious type of smile that made any who saw it smile as well. "We were able to light a small fire so we could cook some food." He sounded very proud of himself as he pointed over to the smoldering embers.

Looking down at the bowl Merry had handed her Nancy found a bit of what looked like fish and roots. Not much, but she had not been expecting anything more. The men had probably spent all of their waking time trying to find the foods they had. For that, she was eternally grateful.

"Thank you, Merry." The small man nodded seemingly having his spirits lifted at her words. To her surprise, he took a seat just a foot or so away from her. "Say, Merry, if you don't mind telling me, to what race do you belong?" Nancy was trying not to sound judgmental, but he didn't exactly look human and in this world, there were more than just humans.

"Me, well I'm a hobbit of course!" She had no clue what a hobbit was and her face must have been a sign as Merry continued, "A halfling? Shireling? You know like small folk?" Only small folk sounded familiar, but it didn't seem like a title many would use in a non-derogatory way.

Their conversation drew the attention of the others. The other hobbits were trying to describe their people to Nancy, but she just couldn't remember any sort of reference to such a thing as a hobbit.

"I'm sorry you guys," She apologized quietly. "I've never heard of a hobbit before. I suppose we just don't have them back home. Dwarves, wizards, and even goblins we have, but no hobbits." She found it funny that they had the others, or at least had stories about them, but not the hobbits.

Shock blanketed the group of hobbits. While not many had met hobbits some knew of them as they were not exactly a secret race. The men, however, found it quite believable. Many back in their homelands had just thought of hobbits as fairytales or old stories. They all could also understand as the race of men were largely ignorant of the other races.

Filling her stomach Nancy let out a low groan. The fish was good. To her shock, it was seasoned perfectly. When she asked how Sam lifted a small bag which made a few clanking sounds. He had apparently brought seasonings with him on their little outing. Though, if that bag were anything to go by their outing wasn't to be as short as she assumed.

Where were they going? Nancy wondered looking down at the nearly empty bowl. She knew her situation was very disadvantageous, but there was not much she could do about it. She didn't know where she was or what was out there.

The only thing she did know was the group around her. The males honestly didn't seem that bad, maybe a bit moody, but they didn't seem like bad people. Nancy was glad that she had at least ran into a group such as them or she could have been far worse off. A shiver of fear ran down her spine as different scenarios of what may have happened ran through her mind.

"Get up now," Aragorn called their attention as he began to pack up. "We have wasted too much time already. We are nearly to Lothlorien." Nancy had no clue where it was they were going, but she would follow the group as long as she could.

Packing up her poncho again and stuffing her hot packs into her pockets Nancy was ready to keep going. Her energy was not yet at one hundred, but she did feel much better than the night before.

Aragorn took a look around the area before heading off to where she assumed the woods that he spoke of were. They were running again and Nancy could have cursed. She chose caving because it was the furthest thing she could think of from running. She only did the marathons for her friends as they all enjoyed them. Even then, they weren't something she did two days in a row.

Her legs wanted to give out after only a half hour of running, but it seemed their group was only picking up speed as they went. They took only one break and that was to fill up their water skins. The company were all in awe of her water bottle. It was huge and she knew that, but otherwise, she was unsure of what was so great about the bottle. It was just a harder sturdier version of their water skins. Then again she was sure many of the things in her bag would amaze the group.

It was oddly comforting to feel the thick stainless steel drink container in her hands. Another thing from home that she would have with her. Asha had actually been the one to purchase it for her which made it even more special.

Nancy didn't bother dropping a tablet in the water seeing as it was crystal clear and tasted fresh as any bottled water she had ever had. If the rest of the world was anything like the men around her she was sure that it was a medieval mess. No, she would save her tablets for when the dirty water came.

There was no telling how long she would be stuck in the medieval world she had dropped into. She needed to ration out her supplies, primarily the ones that she knew she would need later on if she was to be trapped in the world for an extended amount of time. She tried to keep her thoughts on her supplies rather than the implications of what those thoughts meant.

Hours later Aragorn seemed to pick up his pace as they approached a section of trees that seemed different from the ones that they had been traveling through. Around them, the woods seemed to come to life. Nancy could only hope that they were about to reach their destination.

"We are coming to the edges of Lothlorien," Aragorn announced to their small group as they were on the fraying edges of the woods. "Keep alert still." Nancy doubted that even without the warning she would be able to let her guard down in the near future.

Twilight was upon them as they entered the woods. Instantly, Nancy could feel the difference. She was no believer in the supernatural, at least, she wasn't before her accident. But, the trees around her seemed to be alive. The very air around her had a buzz to it as though it were pumping with energy. She was mesmerized by the atmosphere.

"Come, stay close young ones," Gimli whispered his axe clutched tightly in his hands. His was on edge as his eyes darted to and fro. "They say there's a great sorceress lives in these woods, an elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell and are never seen again." His breathing was heavy as he stalked through the woods.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam's voice brought Nancy's attention to the small hobbit. He looked shaken, more so than even Gimli. Frodo was pale and covered in sweat as he took short tentative steps along with their group.

Since she had joined the group Nancy had noticed how the others seemed to flock around Frodo. It wasn't something one would notice right away, but when you were with them all the time it became obvious. He seemed to be the frailest and was soft-spoken when compared to the others. Frodo brought out a rather maternal feeling in Nancy.

Speeding up just the slightest bit Nancy walked a little ahead of Frodo. If they were attacked then she would be ahead of him. While she was no fighter, at least she had pepper spray which was more than she could say for Frodo. She had seen him in those caves, he wasn't a fighter in any sense of the word.

Her footsteps were echoes of Legolas' as she tried to keep her stride. The tall man had much longer strides than Nancy. Hers were only about half his. It made her feel like a child as she compared them. A feeling she was not use to as she was rather tall for a woman.

Thinking about it all of the men were tall. They all looked like warriors from the stories. Boromir especially looked like one, he reminded her of someone from a television show she had seen. Trying to ignore Gimli's boasting and Aragorn's worried glances, Nancy to remember who the man was that Boromir reminded her of. When it hit her, Nancy found herself hoping the grouchy man would avoid losing his head as the lord had.

"Well, here is one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily." Gimli had a great amount of pride in his voice as he broke through her train of thought. The sureness the dwarf spoke with was quite different from his body language. "I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" He claimed with not a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

As she was about to take another step Nancy was stopped by nearly running into Legolas' back. His stop was so abrupt that she hadn't even noticed him halt his steps. Gazing over his shoulder Nancy found Legolas' weapon was drawn and aimed straight for a man she had never seen before.

* * *

An: Sorry if it was wicked of me to make ya'll wait a whole week. Maybe you went green waiting? Anyhow, I will most likely be updating every Sunday! LEt me know what you think!


	5. Bolting

"The dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark." Well, that was one way to say hello. The one who had spoken was tall and robust with pale skin and light blonde hair. He was dressed in what looked like some sort of military uniform for monks. That was how they all looked to be exact.

Her companions had varied reactions to the group that seemed to appear out of thin air. Aragorn looked like he was surrendering to them while he held his hands up and spoke a language she did not know.

While he was doing that Gimli was warning him not to trust them. Legolas lowered his weapon when Aragorn told him to but didn't seem too happy about it. The hobbits looked in awe of the men and Boromir appeared suspicious of them. It all seemed true to each of their characters from what she had observed thus far.

Unsure of how to react Nancy stared at the one that seemed to be the leader. His gaze was resting on Frodo. She had to wonder what made the small man so special. Nancy had yet to say anything about it, but she had noticed something strange.

It was a small thing truly. Every so often she would catch members of the group looking at Frodo. At first, she had thought it was just her mind, but after she caught Boromir staring at Frodo for five minutes straight she knew it wasn't. While she had noticed they were all protective of him there was something that made you want to stare at him. It was like your eyes were drawn to him whether you realized it or not.

As much as Nancy wanted to know what was going on with Frodo, she did not think that it was her place to ask. She was trying not to be a bother to the group of men and she knew that asking too many questions would not get her into anyone's good graces.

Feeling her hair raise Nancy looked up from where her gaze had traveled, Frodo, to find that the leader had turned his gaze to her. He looked as though he were about to question her presence, but decided against it at the last moment.

"Come," To Nancy's ears the man's voice did not ooze authority yet her group followed the man without question as though there was no other option. As the others seemed to trust the strangers, for the most part, she decided that it would be best to just go along with them.

What seemed randomly the man, Haldir as she learned, stopped in front of a large tree. The sound of something falling alerted Nancy to look up. She watched as a rope ladder was dropped down from high in the tree.

"You must climb," Haldir explained as a few of his men began climbing the ladder. "We will rest here for the night." Two more men stayed behind with Haldir. She assumed it was to keep watch over her group.

Shoving her knife and mace into the pockets of her jacket Nancy glanced over in Gimli's direction. He was complaining about going up into a tree. Apparently, heights were not something dwarves fancied.

Checking the straps on her helmet Nancy took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She trusted the men she had been traveling with. They were good men, if not a little strange. If they were going to hurt her then they would have done it by then. It was the new group that set her on edge.

Aragorn was trying his hardest to convince Gimli that he needed to climb, but it didn't seem like he was getting anywhere. According to Gimli, it was unnatural for a dwarf to be up in the air. The dwarf was trying to keep his cool, but with all of the pressure his composure was failing. She could see the fear and insecurity in his eyes.

"Gimli," She called for the male and gained the attention of them all. "You know, I often have to do things like this. Maybe if there was a way for you to know that you were being taken care of then it would be easier for you to go up?" She knew that it worked for her. Knowing that Asha was there to catch her gave Nancy the courage to keep going.

Nancy went through a couple of commands with Aragorn that he could use with Gimli. She knew that Gimli wouldn't be able to trust her as much as he would Aragorn. As they went over them Nancy could see the tension lessen the slightest bit in the dwarf's shoulders.

"Well lass," Gimli was staring her up and down as if evaluating her and suddenly she felt much more anxious than she had before. "That sounds like it may work. But, I won't make any promises. This is just unheard of, a dwarf climbing for elves!" Gimli didn't exactly seem chuffed at the idea, but he was going along with it and that was what mattered.

"You did well." Jumping in shock Nancy raised her hand to her chest at the voice to her right. Legolas stood with a small smile on his normally stoic face. "My apologies, I simply wanted to relay to you my awe. You were able to find a simple solution to ease Gimli's unrest." He spoke no more before climbing the ladder with a grace that Nancy could only dream of. His words had completely distracted her from what Gimli had been saying.

As the others shakily ascended the trees Nancy looked at the guards that were watching them. Their gazes made her feel like prey being cornered. She didn't exactly trust them, but she trusted Aragorn and Legolas. Plus, climbing she could do.

It took Gimli a good while to climb the trees, but he was eventually able to get to the top. Nancy felt proud of the dwarf for concurring his fears. He was able to get up to the top and that was what mattered.

Upon reaching the top Nancy was in awe. If the forest floor had been beautifully enchanting, then the treetops were like another world altogether. All around them the trees were dimly lit with little fleets of their own dotted throughout.

When they had all regained their bearings from the high climb they clustered together. Nancy stood behind the hobbits. A hand went to Frodo's shoulder. He seemed nervous and she wished to give him what little comfort she could. His body tensed under her touch but relaxed a moment later.

Haldir began to speak with Aragorn and Legolas in a language she could not understand. It sounded pretty, like a mixture of a few different languages she had heard, but more lyrical than any of them. She didn't know exactly what they were saying, but it was obvious that they were greetings.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves," Gimli grumbled looking between the floor and the man before them. Nancy was worried about him. She could tell he was purposefully being petty but knew he was outmatched and lost some of his bravado. "Speak words we can all understand." He had a point there. Nancy wanted to know what they were saying and where the elves he had spoken of were.

"We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark days," Haldir's voice was even, but she could hear the disgust hidden behind the words. His answer was Gimli grounding out words she could not understand, but based on the reactions of the men who could it was not exactly polite words he spoke.

Haldir decided not to reply to Gimli and instead made his way over to look at the hobbits and Frodo in particular. His gaze made Nancy tighten her hold on the small hobbit's shoulder and take a step closer. Haldir's gaze flickered to her for a mere second before going back to Frodo.

"You bring great evil with you." It was a statement that confused Nancy. Was he looking at the same person she was? Frodo had to be the most innocent looking being Nancy had ever seen and he said Frodo was evil? "You can go no further." Those words were directed at Aragorn, but she could feel her stomach drop.

Their small group was dispersed as Aragorn took Haldir aside to speak with him. She was sure he was trying to secure a way through for their group. What she was unsure of was his ability to do so. The man may have been persuasive, but Haldir didn't seem to keen on their group, Frodo and Gimli in particular.

It was dark in the night and Nancy could barely make out the shapes of others moving about, more soldiers she presumed. They were all doing different things and yet they seemed to be moving in harmony with each other.

Standing over the edge and staring out she wondered. What if she jumped? Would that send her home? It was a pretty far fall and if she did jump and didn't go back to her world she would die. Was it worth the chance? The question was merely a flicker in her head. No, it wasn't worth it.

The breeze around her was cold as it swayed the trees just the slightest bit. The wind bit at her face and pushed at her body. The feeling was almost similar to the one she experienced when she fell while she was caving.

Before her thoughts could go any further Nancy could hear a sweet voice calling her name. When she turned to the little one, Pippin, she found he was holding out a leaf to her. Confused she accepted the offering and gazed at the contents of the thin green object. With that, the hobbit ran back to Merry as they feasted on their own foods.

Inside the leaf were berries and bread. Nancy could nearly feel her mouth water at the sight of the berries. The ones she had been given in the afternoon were slightly shriveled and bland. While she was thankful for them the previous berries didn't hold a candle to the ones she had just been given.

Mere moments after she was given the leaf it was empty and Nancy found herself craving more. The berries it held seemed to be some of the juiciest berries she had ever had. Not only were they juicy, but the flavors they provided were unparalleled to anything she had ever had on Earth.

"Were they to your liking?" The joking lilt was obvious in Aragorn's voice as he sat near to Nancy. She had purposely sat further away from the group as she had wanted some time to herself. Something she had not had since joining the small group days before. While she was thankful for their company it also opened a whole new can of worms.

Before the company found her she had been scared that it would take too long to find her. Or, that she would be half starved by the time her friends did find her. Never did she imagine that she would stay lost. Nancy had the utmost trust in her friends and knew that they would come for her. She knew that she would be found.

In the long run, Nancy was right. She had been found, yet not by the people she had hoped would find her. Instead, she was found by a group of fairytale beings and taken on an adventure she had no interest in going on.

Her thoughts mirrored the ones from the previous night. All she had wanted the night before was to go home and as she sat staring out through the canopy of trees that was still her desire. Nancy still had so many things she wanted to do when she returned home. It didn't matter how kind the people around her were she just wanted to go home.

Nancy's silence seemed to give Aragorn some sort of answer. Not to the question, he asked, but the one he was truly wondering. She had not meant to seem so callous, but she was simply unsure of how to answer him. The berries were delicious, but she wished she had never eaten them? That seemed hardly appropriate.

"They tasted better than any berry I have ever had before." And they had. Aragorn smiled ever so slightly at the small girl. She was huddled in on herself as she stared out at the flets surrounding them. She seemed so tiny against the great sight surrounding them.

Neither spoke for a few moments. They both reveled in the silent company that the other provided. Nancy was glad for the company of someone who would not endlessly question her while Aragorn was thankful that the strange girl allowed him to be in her presence without becoming skittish.

From what the fellowship had seen of the girl she was just an innocent person who had ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. So far, Nancy had shown no threat of betraying them and had cried honest tears at the loss of their wizard. Her healing capabilities were useful as well.

Still, she was a wonder. How was it she was able to withstand the pull of the ring. They had all seen her gazing at Frodo often, but it did not seem as though she were ensnared by the ring, more so that she was mystified by the hobbit himself. If Aragorn had to guess why the ring had no effect on her, it would probably be because she had no clue as to the ring existence to begin with.

They knew better than to mention the ring to the girl. If he was right then it might start tempting her and if he was wrong then she could be a spy and it would make it easier for her to steal the ring. There were too many variables and none of them wanted to risk anything going wrong. They wanted to trust the girl, there was just too much at stake.

"We will find safe passage with the elves." It was as if anytime she was starting to accept the world around her everything changed in a split second. Had Aragorn just said elves in reference to the people around them? "They are a good people, you can rest easy tonight." He rested a hand on her shoulder in hopes of conveying some sort of comfort she was sure.

"I'm sorry, did you just say elves?" Her words were a hiss of confusion as she looked at the man who could only nod slowly in confusion. "You mean like little creatures that are enslaved until they get clothing?" Honestly, at this point, if a unicorn just galloped through the forest below them she would be unsurprised.

Aragorn stared at her in what could only be described as complete and utter shock. His mouth wide open and eyes bulging as he stared at her. Had she said something wrong? Maybe elves were different in this world.

"My lady, I've no clue of the elves you may have heard of back in your home," His eyes flittered around them and she noticed the strange stares they were receiving. "But I assure you the elves here are no small creatures that are subject to another's will in exchange for clothing." With that, he motioned to the people around them.

Looking about Nancy eyed the men and few women that stood on the flets around them. If she looked closely she could see that perhaps they were different from her. Though the difference was nothing that she would see so obviously.

The people around them seemed to glow in the moonlight, though not an actual glow. It seemed more so that they were glowing from within, it was in a subtle way that made you think twice on whether it was truly there or not.

It was a strange thing she noticed next. They were all beautiful and tall. Normally, she would not care for such a thing, but it seemed that it was something they all had in common. The people around her all seemed to have looks any model would kill for. Realizing that she had suddenly become an ugly duckling was awkward as she tried to hide further into her jacket and helmet.

What stood out the most though was the fact that each person had the same ears. Their ears were the shape of leaves. Thinking back on it Nancy realized that there was one in the company that had ears like those around them.

"Legolas." It was just a murmur, but as she turned to gaze at the man, no elf, she locked eyes with said male. Her head cocked to the side as she stared at him. He was an elf and she hadn't even realized it. While Nancy knew there was no way for her to have known he was an elf she still felt she should have known the male wasn't human at least.

"Yes," Aragorn confirmed what she had just realized. Her face flushed as she turned her gaze back out into the endless expanse of trees. "I suppose the elves you know of back home are different?" The only answer Nancy could muster was a slight incline of her head.

She was thankful when Aragorn halted his questioning and allowed the silence to come back over them. The man was nice to have around. It felt less lonely as they sat together in silence. She was sure that he needed to speak with the elves around them, but he was sitting with her and she knew it was only to bring her comfort.

Nearly an hour they sat there in companionable silence. The others, save for Legolas, had all gone to rest and talk amongst themselves long before. Nancy was exhausted and she knew that the sleep she would get that night would be the safest one she had gotten for days. Yet, she could not bring her eyes to close or her body to rest.

Movement to her left told Nancy that Aragorn was moving at last. She turned to find him standing. They gave each other a simple nod before he made his way over to Haldir and Legolas who had been talking since the group had arrived.

Gaze drifting back out to the darkness Nancy found her thoughts narrowing. Her mind had been screaming at her before. So many things were running through her mind as she sat on the cold floor of the flet. But as her gaze landed on a distant light she could feel the once thundering river of thoughts simmer down to a gentle stream.

Her thoughts of her own world seemed secondary as she felt the cool breeze moving between the trees around her. Nancy knew one thing, she needed to focus on staying alive. In her mind, the only way that she could do that would be to stick with the group of men who had found her. It was strange because she could tell they were on a mission, a dangerous one at that, but she felt the safest when one of them was near to her.

As she stared at the tiny far off light Nancy decided that she would do her best to stay with them. If they forced her away then so be it, but she would choose to stay with them as long as she could. She needed them and if what she had seen so far was an indication they at least needed her medical expertise. Nancy just hoped that it would be enough to make them take her along.

Even as she thought up her schemes to go with them Nancy knew it sounded brash. Who in their right mind would suddenly decide to go along with a group of men they had just met? Her only defense was that she had been dropped in a world foreign to her own that she had no clue how to get home.

Rustling a few feet away alerted Nancy to someone joining her. The person was silent, it was only the cloak rustling the slightest bit that gave him away. The silent approach and seating told Nancy exactly who it was. Legolas.

Embarrassed Nancy was unsure as to whether or not she should even try and talk to the male. He had obviously heard her house elf comment from before. She could tell he had heard her when they made eye contact as she was talking with Aragorn. He didn't seem offended if anything he seemed nearly as bemused by her words as Aragorn was.

"What are the elves in your homeland like?" His voice was soft and melodious against her ears. She could feel his gaze on her and she knew it would only be polite to return the look, but she had to work up her nerves. "They sound far different from myself and my kin." A tone of amusement could be heard in his velvety voice.

"Elves? Well, back home they are nothing but fairytales for children." Nancy watched as his brows pinched together in what she could only assume was confusion. "The most popular version of elves were either ones that built toys or ones that were servants to wizards and witches." It was easy to see how distraught her words made the normally stoic elf as his lips pressed tight in a thin line and his eyebrows knitted together.

The pair descended into silence as her words blanketed them in thought. She was sure that Legolas was upset and going to give her a piece of his mind. She was preparing herself for just that when he asked the most peculiar thing of her.

"These are just stories you say?" It was not the reply that she was expecting, but if it meant her not getting yelled at then she was all too happy to confirm. "Tell me more of these stories. Tell me the ones of wizards and dwarves. What are their tales like?" Well, his wonder was truly a twist to her fears.

Confused Nancy nodded a small uneasy smile on her lips. How could it be that simple? Either way, she would take the blessing of not having Legolas angry about her comments. She decided to tell him only about the creatures from Harry Potter. While it was the made up fantasy world of one person she knew it better than any old stories.

She told him about the wizarding wars and the goblins at Gringotts to the dwarves at the leaky cauldron. Nancy was so into the telling of the tale of three brothers that she hadn't even noticed the hobbits creeping over and listening with jaws dropped and eyes wide.

"He wasn't scared, not at all?" Questioned Pippin from his spot over her right shoulder. Shocked Nancy turned to look back at the small male. "Ain't everyone supposed to be at least a little scared of it?" He asked staring down at her prodding her to answer quicker.

"Why would he be scared? The brother lived a long fulfilling life." It sounded cliche and she knew it, but her answer would not change no matter how much thought she gave it. "He knew that after death he would be with those he loved again and that brought him happiness." At least, that was the way she had always interpreted the story.

The others were quiet. She wondered what they were thinking. Nancy had no clue what the people in this world thought of the afterlife. She didn't know if they believed in it or not. From the looks on their faces, they at least had some understanding of it.

"So, you had many great wizards in your world right?" It was Merry asking that time. A nod from her told him to continue as he obviously had more to ask. "So then who was the most powerful wizard?" She could see the sadness in their eyes as he asked. It was obvious that Gandalf was theirs.

Dumbledore was her automatic answer. Nancy knew that many would also answer the same way. Yet, it felt wrong to answer with such a person. They had just lost their equivalent to Dumbledore and she knew that if she were to answer with him they would find the similarities right away.

"In my opinion, it was Hermione Granger." There were a few 'ohs' and 'ahs' at her reply. "She was the smartest witch of her age and fiercely loyal to those she loved. Her knowledge only grew with time and she became one of the greatest magic users in the magical community." It was cheesy and was said so much over the years, but it was true. The young witch had always amazed Nancy growing up.

It seemed that the hobbits just couldn't get enough of her stories, as they continued to question her for a while longer. Even Frodo threw in a question or two. Legolas sat quietly and listened to her words a small smile on his face. However, after a few more stories, Aragorn made his way over to their group of six.

He watched over them from behind for a few moments. Nancy told her stories from her home. He must have wondered as the rest of them did where the girl came from. Her stories were almost as strange as the girl herself. She wore a hat as hard as rocks and told stories of goblins counting coins. He listened in for a few moments, but eventually, the leader of their group put an end to their evening of lore.

"It is time we rested," Aragorn spoke over the group and could Nancy could feel her stomach turn as the hobbits whined at him. They deserved a change from the heartache and misery they had endured, but their bodies needed the break. "We must sleep and recover our energy for the journey tomorrow." Just like that the small hobbits and even Nancy herself began to yawn.

"Aragorn is right, I'm beat." From the looks of confusion, she could tell that no one understood what she meant, her slang going right over their heads. Of course, she was beat. They had been fighting orcs a day earlier. "I'm gonna sleep. See you guys in the morning." Nancy stood and gave a short wave to the others before making her way further in and resting against the trunk of the tree.

Using her pack as a pillow as she had done since joining the group Nancy found it easier to drift off than it had been before. Her mind was at ease for the first time since she had fallen into the strange world. Thinking of the Harry Potter world gave her some hope. Maybe she could find her own magic in the world around her.

She shifted her poncho and snuggled deeper into the thin fabric. It would shield her from prying eyes as she slept. While she cocooned herself into the black fabric Nancy made sure to keep an ear open. She wanted to make sure she could still hear her group. She thought if they left her she might have a panic attack.

Sleep consumed her and soon Nancy was enthralled in her dreams. Around her, the elves kept watch. The hobbits made their beds a few feet from her. They spoke in hushed voices of the tales she had told them. To the right of them was Aragorn and to the far left slightly past Nancy were Boromir and Gimli. The men had agreed to keep the five between them, just in case. Legolas stood at the edge of the flet watching over both his companions and the forest surrounding them, only retiring before daybreak

That night the company slept more peacefully and yet more fitfully than they had since their journeys had begun. For they slept more safely than they had in months and yet they had just lost their greatest strength. Not only that, but they had lost a dear friend.

When they rose the next morning it was just as the first raise of sunlight hit the treetops. The fellowship were awoken by the elvish guards. Food was given out and they were preparing to descend when Frodo looked over to see that Nancy was nowhere to be found.

"Aragorn?" Frodo's voice was low but louder than any in their group had heard for a long time. "Nancy, she is not here and her sack it is gone too!" This caught the attention of all their company. They turned to find that Frodo was correct, the maiden was missing as well as her belongings.

The entire group went into a slight mess at the revelation that their maiden was gone. Both Boromir and Gimli circled the flet around the tree with no luck. Aragorn checked the area that she had slept in closely while Legolas looked about for any sign of the woman.

"If you are looking for the mortal woman she would be up at the top," Haldir told them as the group began to panic. Aragorn said the elves were their allies, but the woman was the least protected out of all their group. "She asked to climb higher, to watch the sunrise she said." Haldir sounded suspicious as he looked at Aragorn in question.

Both males were intrigued by the woman. She was a mere mortal and yet she asked to go to the top of the mallorn tree they were in. It was such a strange request that Haldir accepted it, with the provision that the woman was guided by Orophin.

The company were confused but accepted the response. In the short time, they had known her Nancy had made it clear she was like no woman they had ever known. From her skin tight clothing to her strange bag. No other woman they had met quite lived up to the strangeness of their new found companion.

Speaking of her, Nancy descended from a ladder that seemed to appear from nowhere. Her face held a peaceful smile as she joined the rest of them. Merry and Pippin were quick to come and ask her about the sights she saw to which the girl was happy to describe. The bright auras around the two gave her much energy.

"Come, we must go now." Haldir beckoned their group to the edge of the flet where the ladder to the forest floor was. Descending the tree was a breeze for Nancy, but she could see it was just as hard to climb down for some just as it was climbing up. When they were all on the ground again the company set off without a second to rest.

Upon reaching the river Nancy could feel her stomach curdle. How were they supposed to cross the river? Haldir said not even the elves crossed the river where they were. She was just as shocked when he said they would be using a rope? When she saw it being tied she was even more shocked.

When Haldir told them that they would also have two other ropes the others seemed to be more at ease. Nancy, on the other hand, was just as nervous as before. Her heart thumped roughly as she thought about trying to cross the river with only two ropes to hold herself over yet another rope.

"Uhm, I don't think I can do this." Nancy knew she would fall if she tried to cross. Her words drew the gazes of all her companions. "It's like, not that I don't want to its more like I just can't? I have this disorder you see where I have terrible balance. It's called dyspraxia. Really it just means I'm clumsy, but like more than that." She felt stupid as she spoke and the group just stared at her.

"I will help you cross." Nancy was shocked to see Legolas looking down at her after his offer. "You must go so I will help you to cross this obstacle." While Nancy was not usually one for pretty boys she could feel her heart flutter at his handsome face and the earnest smile that adorned it.

Before Nancy could voice her thanks they were being pushed to the makeshift rope bridge. The pair were the last ones to cross from their company with only two elves left behind them. Legolas was right behind Nancy the entire time. One of his hands was at her waist hovering just over it while the other was right behind her hand on the waist height rope.

While she was scared crossing the river with Legolas she knew she would have been even terrified of crossing it alone. He saved her not once or twice, but four times from falling into the river. She was embarrassed but knew that there was nothing she could do for it. Normally she was fine, but in the dark or on small walkways she always found herself falling.

Reaching the ground on the other side of the river Nancy turned to look up at Legolas. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes wide with adrenaline as she stared up at the blond elf. Her thanks were quiet but heartfelt.

Haldir informed them that since they were across the river that they had to wear the blindfold he had mentioned before. For they did not allow outsiders to see the way to their homeland. His words were especially pointed at Gimli. Honestly, Nancy was happy that Haldir was not looking at her as he was at the dwarf. She might have had to throw hands with the elf.

At those words, the fellowship began their arguments. Legolas was affronted that he too had to don the blindfold even though he was kin to them. While Gimli was firm that he would not wear one unless even the 'fairy lad' wore one as well. It was funny to watch, but Nancy simply wanted to go. It was then that she felt a pang of longing. Gandalf could have helped them keep order amongst their group.

When the group finally all agreed to wear the blindfolds, Nancy could hear Gimli complaining in the background while the others seemed to just go along with it. He muttered curses and threats against the elves that were actually rather hilarious.

Feeling a hand gently grab her arm Nancy jumped and took a step back. When she did that she lost her balance and nearly fell to the ground. The only thing stopping her was a hand grabbing her arm.

"Sorry, I've got bad balance." She told the person helping her to stand. She heard soft words spoken a few feet away in the elvish language before the person righted her and gave a gentle pat on her back. Nancy assumed the delay was the other person translating to whoever had caught her.

Just like that, they were off. The gentle hand moved to her elbow and guided her in the dark. It made her nervous. She didn't like being in the dark, that was what her headlight was for. She also didn't like having to trust strangers. She was just beginning to trust the group that she was with.

Every now and then Nancy would still trip even with the help of her guide. It was shocking how gentle he was being with her. Not once was he rough with her and did his best to help her stay up straight. She knew it was a he because once he laughed at a squeal she let out over a particularly fast fall, one he had saved her from.

The dirt ground under them was soft and supple. There was no longer anything for her to trip on and yet she still did. Her equilibrium was horrible and made even worse with the lack of vision. She was sure her group mates were fairing fine without their sight as she had not heard one of them gasp or stumble.

For hours their group walked and it wasn't until they felt the chill of the night air that they stopped their travels. The elves didn't allow them to take off their blindfolds so they were forced to stay on the ground. Nancy had to admit that while they were on the ground and blind she still felt oddly safe.

Waking up they were allowed only a moments rest before they began making their way again to wherever it was they were going. Nancy was a bit worried about how easily she was suddenly accepting the unknown. She knew she should have questioned more, but she was too happy about being safe for the moment to care.

Again, they walked for hours. She was unsure how long they would walk for. She had asked once, but her only answer was, 'As long as necessary.' And with that answer, she nearly threw hands with Haldir again.

It had to have been past midday when they stopped at random, or what seemed to be. She only knew the reason why when suddenly the could hear far more people talking and moving than before. Apparently, more elves had joined them. The words spoken were so low she could barely hear them and they were in elvish.

Crouching down Nancy tried to take a rest in a squatting position. She knew it was not ladylike, but she couldn't bring herself to care. She had been running or walking for nearly a week straight and she needed a break.

Her attention was only drawn back when she heard Haldir say that they may remove their blindfolds. He undid Gimli's first and apologized asking for the dwarf to forgive him and look upon them with friendly eyes. He would be the first dwarf to see Lorien in what was apparently a while.

When Nancy was in turn given her sight back she couldn't stifle the gasp that escaped her lips at the sight that was before her. It had to have been the most beautiful sight that she had ever seen. It looked like something out of one of her childhood fairytale books.

The trees before them were taller than any she had ever seen, even the redwoods. Among them, she could see a building built into the tops of some of the tallest trees. It shone white and beautiful amongst the golden leaves. Below the beautiful golden leaves were flowers shaped likes stars. The entire vision seemed to glitter and gleam before her.

She only hoped the place was as welcoming as it was beautiful. Haldir told them they would rest where they were until dusk. The group all threw themselves down and relaxed in the grass to rest. She marveled at the softness of the grass below her. How was it possible for everything to be so amazing?

Nancy grew nervous. She could feel an energy about the air around her. She knew it was not an evil energy, but the same one that had put her at ease last night. It was strange to feel something and yet know there was nothing around that made you feel such a way.

The world she was in made Nancy question everything she knew. Elves and dwarves and wizards were all so crazy and suddenly she was getting weird feelings? She knew it wasn't her, but rather something outside of her that was doing it which was honestly even worse in her opinion.

* * *

An: Sorry for the extra long wait! Hope you guys didn't go blue waiting! Easter really threw me off so I wasn't able to update last week, hopefully I wont be put to death! I'm trying to make Nancy as real as possible so if you guys have suggestions let me know in the comments as I do read them. I'm actually not a huge fan of Hermonie(she just never drew me in) but so many people talk about how brilliant she is and I feel like Nancy would be one of those people ha ha. I might update on Wedneday just as an apology for taking so long on this update. Till then, thank you for reading!


	6. Tension

Nancy felt like a sideshow from the moment they entered the city. The elves were careful with their gazes, but she could still feel them. From every direction, eyes wandered over their group. She didn't know if it was because of their group's strange makeup or the fact that they were being led by a group of soldiers.

Around them, the adults watched, though when she turned to meet their eyes they looked away. On the other hand, the children didn't even try to be subtle about their interest. They would point and comment while never getting close enough for her to hear their words. It was cute to see the children run after them with such glee. She, however, wasn't sure how to feel not knowing whether it was her that they laughed at or not.

In the center of the city was a staircase greater than any other that she had seen thus far. The planks jutting out from the bark of the tree were thick and seemed to glow from the light of the arches above them. Nancy was unsure of how the lights worked. If there was no electricity then it seemed magic was the only answer, but she still found it hard to believe even after all she had seen.

The planks embedded in the tree led the company further and further from the ground to their destination of which she was unsure. She could still feel the unsettling calm wash over her and it seemed to be even stronger the closer they came to the largest flet of them all. She knew it was the one she had seen from the glade early that day.

Night had fallen and the forest city seemed alight with magic around them. Nancy was awed at the beauty of it all. How they were able to go from a place like Moria to one like Lothlorien was beyond her. The two were so different. So painfully different that it seemed impossible.

Stopping at the top of the stairs and in the middle of the large flet Nancy felt like she was seeking an audience with the Queen of England with the way all of her companions and the elves were acting. No one spoke or moved, they were all like statues and it set her mind on edge.

A light emitted above them from atop a short staircase on the flet. Her new friends looked nervous. Aragorn was at the front while the hobbits huddled close together and Gimli and Boromir stood as far back as they possibly could. Legolas stood behind Nancy and she took comfort knowing that the blond archer was at her back. To have someone she trusted at her back put her heart at ease.

Descending through the silvery light glowing from the top of the stairs was a couple that struck her with awe. A man and woman who held hands as they approached the weary group. She could feel her body hum as nerves flew through her at the sight of the two elves. It was belatedly that she realized the glow might have actually been coming from the couple themselves.

The man was tall and regal with a look of nobility to him. He had hair that gleamed silver and even amongst the light he shone. His gaze was like that of a hawk and seemed to evaluate them before deciding to set his face into a firm grimace. She could tell that among them he had found something he did not like. Nancy just hoped that it wasn't her.

Next, to him, the woman seemed to be bathed in a light of silver like some sort of heavenly angel. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders in streams of gold and shimmers of silver. The woman was more beautiful than anyone she had ever seen. Nancy had to wonder how it was possible for someone to be so beautiful?

Before her, Nancy could see Aragorn bowing his head and touching a hand to his forehead. While none of the others seemed to be doing anything other than gawking she had a feeling they either wouldn't know how to greet the couple or would just flat out refuse to. Not wanting to seem rude Nancy copied Aragorn's movements.

After a few seconds, she raised her head and looked upon the couple once again. She could feel Frodo take a step back as he watched the woman. Nancy's hand automatically went against his shoulder for comfort.

"The enemy knows you have entered here." The man spoke and his voice seemed to wash over her in disapproval. She was not sure why she felt ashamed, but she did. "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." She could see those around her slump in shame as he continued to speak.

"Nine there are here and yet not the same that set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf for I much desire to speak with him." His question was met with silence from their group. "I can no longer see him from afar." She could hear the well-concealed worry in his voice. She had heard often it in the voices of family and friends of her patients back home.

Stomach knotting at the man's question, Nancy could do nothing more than to stare down at her sturdy caving boots. It was only her second time wearing them so she was sad to see the aglets were already starting to fray. She would have to replace them when she got the chance. Or perhaps she should save them. She didn't know how long it would be until she would be able to get more.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land." Her voice was as dreamlike as any Nancy could have ever imagined. It was a wonder that such a voice would be heard by her ears. "He has fallen into shadow." Her gaze traveled over their group and upon meeting her eyes Nancy could feel her body freeze.

"He was taken by both shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth." The voice from behind her was melancholy and Nancy felt the grief in her double as Legolas spoke. She could see the shock and sadness on the faces of those around her and felt their pain in her heart. "For we went needlessly into the net of Moria." The sadness in his voice was lined in anger and it caused her heart to clench.

From the corner of her eyes, Nancy could see Gimli bowing his head further than before. It wasn't a grand gesture, but one that was accentuated by his large helmet and thick beard. It made her wonder if Moria had been Gimli's idea in the first place. They had said that he had family in the mines so it wouldn't have been shocking if he had. If that was the case it would explain the look of guilt on the dwarves face.

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf's life." The woman denied Legolas's words quickly her gaze on Frodo. "For we do not yet know his full purpose. Do not let the grief of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli son of Gloin." Her words were kind and caught the attention of the ginger dwarf. "For the world is full of peril and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief." Though the words were said to Gimli, her gaze was on another.

Boromir seemed to whimper at the gaze of the tall female elf. Her eyes were hard as she stared at the man. His eyes, however, would not meet with hers. Nancy had to wonder what was happening as it almost seemed like she was sending him a message. One that only he could hear. Their attention was only stolen back when the man asked what would become of their fellowship.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife." Her voice was pure warning as she gazed upon them. "Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all. Yet, hope remains while the company is true." Nancy could feel her heart thump with hope. It was becoming more and more clear the longer she spent with the strange group that whatever they were doing was of grave importance.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled, go now and rest. For you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep well and take refuge in this city." With that, the group was ushered off Frodo going down first with Aragorn close behind him. Nancy stayed towards the back not wanting to get in the way.

Suddenly, as if by some magic, she could see herself crawling out of the cave she had entered. Asha was there and so were the rest of her friends. They were all so happy to see her and Nancy was just happy to be there in Asha's arms again. It seemed so real and yet, Nancy knew it was impossible. She couldn't possibly go there, not until she knew the group she was with were safe and healthy.

The thought was a shock to her, she had just been thinking of ways to get home the night before and suddenly she was dedicated to the band of men she had just met? What was even more shocking was how little the thought rattled her. She felt like the random intrusive thought was right, she needed to stay.

Just as fast as the vision came it was gone. Her feet stumbled and she found her self falling and knocking into a tall broad chest before her. Quickly Nancy righted herself and looked up to find Legolas with his hand gently on her forearm. His gaze was questioning as he watched her.

Giving the elf a small smile of reassurance Nancy shook her head. He looked worried for a moment before nodding and beginning his trek down the stairs again. Turning back to look at where the strange elf woman was Nancy found her there still with a small smile on her face. It almost seemed like she was giving Nancy an approving look. It made her wonder if the woman had anything to do with the strange vision.

Shaking the ludicrous idea from her head she turned back and rejoined her group. They seemed to be the slightest bit lighter after having met with the elf couple. She hoped that the woman was right. That they would not be attacked and they could truly rest easy. If the last few nights were anything to go by then she assumed that she could.

Unlike the first night, they slept on the ground. Though unlike both other nights they were gifted with couches and places to take shelter along with a bright and warm fire. Nancy was eager to huddle up to it. She found that though the city around them was safe, none of the company was walking too far away from their campsite.

Kindly the elves had offered her an area up above that would be all her own. She turned it down, however, seeing as she was not too keen on being away from the males she had entered with. They gave her a sense of place as strange as it seemed. The group was all she knew in the world and she wasn't so ready to lose it even if she would have had a little privacy.

"What about you Miss Nancy?" It was the soft voice of Sam who called her out. "Did the Lady Galadriel give you any visions of home or something you wanted?" He questioned again upon seeing the confused look on her face.

"Visions?" She questioned and found the whole of the company staring at her. "You mean that really was her?" Her shocked question was answered by enthusiastic nods from the others. "Well, yes then. She showed me reuniting with my friends. Though, how could I do that before I know you are all safe and sound?" Her simple answer seemed to bring shock to those around her.

The hobbits were clambering all over her asking about her friends while the men seemed to be worried about something else. Nancy tried to answer all of the questions that the small males were asking, but there were just so many.

After was seemed like hours of interrogation Merry and Pippin finally gave her a chance to catch her breath. While their questions were innocent and light-hearted Nancy was a bit flustered having never been questioned so thoroughly before, even by the hobbits. It felt as though the FBI were the ones questioning her not two tiny blonds.

"Tell us what does your friend look like?" It was Pippin who smiled and pulled at Nancy's arm. Feeling more energized by the hobbits energy she moved out of their grasps and reached her hand down her shirt. The action garnered a few confused looks from the four about her. "Wow! It's the most amazing portrait I've ever seen." All of the hobbits crowded around to see the small wonder in her hand.

The locket was a joke between her and Asha. It was something Asha got for the both of them after their first time caving together years ago. 'In case one of us gets lost. The last thing we will see will be each other.' It was a dark joke but had both of them laughing.

In the photo, Asha and Nancy were huddled together smiling into the camera. It was rather new as Asha liked to update it. The couple were lying on the ground side by side smiling. Jessica's boyfriend Ethan had taken it before telling them the picture looked nice, but that it looked like a wedding photo. It made both girls laugh.

"It's so tiny but so detailed." The voice belonged to Aragorn and came from over her shoulder. When she looked back at him a gave a small smile. "Though I cannot say I understand you, you have proven yourself a good person and ally." She could understand that it was his way of telling her that he accepted her and that made her heart warm at the kind smile he gave her.

"The lass is crazy!" Gimli's voice boomed taking all of the attention to himself. "Did ya see the way she fought back there and how she keeps pulling out such mystical items? Must be crazy!" His loud guffawing was sign enough that he was making a joke and it warmed her heart.

A few moments later, the camp went silent as each of them began to set up their beds. Nancy didn't take many provisions. Two blankets and a pillow was all she needed. She laid the thicker blanket beneath her for some cushioning and let the other fall over her lap. The thunderous snores of Gimli lulled her into a sense of calm.

From a few feet away she could hear the sound of rock against metal. She found Aragorn sharpening his blade. His face was set into a dreary grimace as he stared at the metal of the sword.

Her gaze was drawn from the man as the thin figure of Legolas rejoined them, a pitcher of water in his hands. He was dressed in a silver tunic and with his blond hair plaited back from his face he reminded her of the powerful couple she had met just earlier. He looked regal.

"A lament to Gandalf." The voices in the trees surrounding them were sad as the grief in them sang to her heart. Merry asked what they sang about the old wizard and she too wondered, but didn't think she had the strength to learn. "I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near." She could hear it in the soft tone of voice that his heart was wrenched with sorrow.

"Bet they don't mention his fireworks. Should be a verse about them." It was Sam who said this and stuck a confused cord in her. Fireworks? Gandalf made fireworks? That didn't seem like such a medieval pleasure. "The finest rockets ever seen. They burst in stars of blues and green. Where after thunder, silver showers came falling like a rain of flowers. Oh, that doesn't do them justice." She thought it sounded beautiful.

The group was stuck in a melancholy silence as each person made their beds or relaxed in their own spot. Nancy with Sam and Merry to the front of her Frodo to her right and Aragorn to her left. There was plenty of space for all of them and yet none felt too far from her. It was a comfort she was thankful for.

Every time she had slept since meeting the group she had been scared. At first, she feared them killing her and then them leaving her or being killed. Ever since they had entered the forest, however, she feared their hearts. They were no longer in danger which meant that they would have time to grieve. She didn't think that would be such a good thing as they seemed to be on an important mission.

Risking a peek at Frodo she saw that he was simply staring into the void. His gaze was unfocused, though he seemed to hear Sam and Legolas' conversation. Frodo looked like he was taking the passing of Gandalf hard, harder than anyone else in their group at least.

Nancy could feel her heart go out to not only Frodo but the entire group. Each of them felt the heartbreak of losing a friend. Not only had they lost him, but then they were forced to run and hide to save their lives. Not even a moment was spared to cry over their lost wizard.

Laying in her makeshift bed Nancy thought back on the wizard. She knew him for a minimal amount of time, but he had still left an impression on her. He seemed like an interesting man and if Sam's stories of his fireworks were anything to go by, he truly was a very interesting old wizard.

As the Lady said, sleep came easily to their party. Nancy found great comfort in the pelts and blankets that were laid about them. She drifted off watching Aragorn and Legolas talk as they stared into the fire. The way the elf's blond hair shone in the light of the flames was entrancing and lulled her to sleep. The fire never seemed to die and she slept more soundly than she had since entering the strange world. Her dreams were nonexistent, but it let her mind recover and rest.

Hours later she awoke as first light was breaking. The rest of the company slept. Her eyes lingered on Legolas for a few moments in fear. His eyes were open, though heavily hooded and his gaze seemed glazed over as he looked unblinkingly before him. She realized with a calming heart he was alive and just in a deep sleep with his eyes open.

Quietly so as not to disturb him, she hadn't seen him get a wink of sleep since their first meeting, she crept out of their campsite. She looked about before finding one of the female elves and requested a place to clean up. The elf seemed more than happy, if not a bit shocked, to take her to their bathing area.

When the two women arrived the elf woman, Eliril, offered Nancy some bath supplies. The soaps and hair oils were much appreciated. The other even offered to help her get the knots out of her unruly hair. She truly was a godsend.

There was a small silver-rimmed mirror sat against one of the trees and Nancy couldn't help taking a peak. Upon looking in the mirror Nancy could feel her stomach drop. The elves were all so beautiful and she had let them see her as such?

While under most circumstances Nancy did not care for beauty and aesthetics, the situation she was in was different. Her skin was greasy as a deep fryer and she was caked in dirt and blood. Her hair was matted to her skin and she looked like death ran over her with a tank.

As she sank into the water dirt, blood and filth seemed to just float off of Nancy's body. It made the woman cringe in disgust. She could see all of the things that had been caking her skin washing away and it reminded her of all she had been through. It felt good to finally be rid of it.

Fully submerging herself in the water helped Nancy to clear her mind. She knew it was a communal bath, but the water seemed cleaner than any she had seen back home. She could see the bottom of the bathing pool as easily as she could see the ground around it. The world around her truly was untouched while still being well tended to.

Only when her fingers began to prune did Nancy leave the water of the bathing area. Eliril was quick to follow her. The woman, or elleth as she told Nancy to call her, was more than happy to lend her a dress for the day. Nancy wanted to keep her packed clothes together as long as possible and she refused to put her filthy ones back on.

After both women dressed the elleth insisted on brushing out the human's hair again. Nancy was more than happy to let her. The hands roaming through her hair were comforting and it was nice to spend time with Eliril. She was calm and quiet only speaking every so often. Her disposition allowed Nancy to be with her while also resting and getting ready for the hobbits again.

Just as all good things did, their time together came to an end. Eliril had to go and tend to her daily schedule while Nancy longed to return to her companions. The elleth offered to come by and visit her at their campsite later on before they went their separate ways. It left Nancy with a light feeling in her heart. While she had no plans of leaving her group, it was nice to know she had another friend in the world.

Entering the camp she found her new friends sitting around the fire enjoying a wide assortment of food. Her stomach growled at the sight of such a delicious spread of foods. How she longed to gorge herself on all that her eyes laid upon. And she planned on doing just so.

"Nancy?" It was the high voice of Pippin that called out to her a confused lilt to his small voice. "Is that you?" She quirked her head to the side and gave the hobbit a questioning look as she nodded slowly. His eyes grew wide as he stared at her jaw slack in what appeared to be confusion.

"Bless my beard!" Gimli's voice drew her attention to him and found him staring at her jaw and eyes open wide. "You are a woman!" Her brows knitted tightly together at those words. If their faces were anything to go off of the rest of the group were just as shocked as Gimli and Pippin.

Crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a hip out Nancy stared down the group before her. Why they were so gobsmacked was beyond her. Sure she was a mess before, but so were they. It wasn't like the bath made that much of a difference.

"What, so I bathe and put on a pretty dress and somehow that makes me more of a woman than before?" Nancy hissed before throwing herself down roughly next to Aragorn and Legolas. Both man and elf tensed as the angry girl began to grab foods at random and shove them into her mouth.

As the flavors melted on her tongue Nancy could feel her body unwind and relax again. Her stomach was happy as she shoved more and more food into her mouth. A hand holding out what looked to be a pastry appeared before her vision. Looking up she found Legolas smiling at her as he lifted up the food in offering to her.

It was funny or so she thought. All of the tough men around her were suddenly put on edge by her attitude. She held back a giggle as she accepted the food and ate it. The flavor was unlike anything she had ever had on earth. It was buttery and savory and she wondered how the elves made it.

"You know, you guys actually aren't the first to question if I was a girl or not." This seemed to garner the attention of those around her as they looked at her curiously. "I had short hair when I was younger, much like a boy. Add to that the fact that I've always been bony and lanky and it was a recipe for being a 'growing boy' in the eyes of society." Her eye roll and exaggerated motions received light laughter from the three playful hobbits and Gimli. The rest of their group only gave light chuckles or smiles.

Her short story seemed to be an opening for the others to share their embarrassing stories. From Merry and Pippin's borrowing to Boromir and an incident with a horse, even Legolas shared a story from when he was younger about a misguided arrow. Nancy found herself letting out a throaty chuckle at the crazy situations the group of males had gotten themselves into.

She was sure that the men found her a strange woman. She had seen the elleth, how they walk and talk was lightyears different than Nancy. It seemed fair to assume that even the human women would be different too, though she had no clue what kinds of women hobbits and dwarves knew. Often she was told that she had more of an amble than a walk and that she slouched too much. Her voice may not have been deep, but her laugh was and it seemed to come whenever she was uncomfortable which happened often.

The sharing of awkward childhood stories brought the company some peace of mind, or at least it brought it to her. Nancy only hoped that the men would feel more comfortable with her. She wanted them to like her, to let her stay with them.

For the day the group lounged around. The members would disappear from time to time, but they were never gone for long. The only one who was gone for more than a short while was Legolas and even he was quick to return. She was sure he had friends or maybe family around that he would like to visit, though he seemed to want to be with their group.

Hours had passed and the sun seemed to be high in the sky. She could hardly tell through the thick canopy above them. It was strange, the trees seemed to block out all light, but the light from the sun still seemed to shine down on them in a beautiful golden hue from the leaves of the trees they sat beneath.

It was nearing evening when their camp received a surprising visitor. It was Eliril who had her arms were laden with fabric. Nancy couldn't make heads or tails of what it was the woman was doing. They had not planned on the elleth binging anything when she came to visit her.

"Nancy, I hope I have not left you waiting too long." The elleth only gave her companions brief smiles, her bow to Legolas was a bit strange though maybe it was an elf thing? She seemed to only have eyes for Nancy. "I have gathered a few clothing pieces and laundered your clothing during the day. And do not fret I did this all in my free time." Her smile was sweet and assured the woman that she was telling the truth.

"Oh no, not at all!" In actuality, Nancy had completely forgotten that Eliril was coming to visit her. The fact that she had used her free time to do so much for her left the human feeling guilty. "What do you have there?" She was sure that it was something for her. She doubted that the elleth would have mentioned the clothes were they not for her.

The elleth's face grew slightly red as did the tips of her ears. She laid out the clothes in her arms a tiny shy smile on her face. Nancy was slightly surprised to find that it was not only dresses but leggings and tunics as well. The fabrics came in a few different colors and textures. Even a few hygiene products were in the bundle. She looked up at Eliril in surprise. The clothing all looked nice and if she was understanding correctly Eliril was trying to give them to her.

"It is not much, but please accept these as a token of our friendship." Her heart warmed as she looked at the clothing and Nancy could feel the tears welling in her eyes. Even on Earth no-one had been so randomly kind to her. "If they are not to your liking I can find some others!" The elleth had obviously seen the tears in her eyes and misunderstood them. The human girl was just one of those happy criers.

Leaning forward Nancy wrapped her arms around the kneeling Eliril. The latter seemed shocked at the sudden skinship but didn't push Nancy away so she took it as a good sign. When the elleth's hands landed on the humans back she was able to relax. She was unsure of elvish customs but just couldn't help herself from her normal reaction. She had always been a touchy person so it seemed only natural to show her appreciation with a hug.

When they parted Nancy gave the sweet woman a watery-eyed smile and a gentle squeeze of her shoulders. She was thankful beyond words. There was no telling how long she would be in the new world and to have someone willing to give her clothes after knowing her for such a short amount of time was comforting beyond words.

"This is more than enough my friend." Her voice shook as did her hands. It was a little thing really, a few outfits, but it meant the world to her. She had been so lucky in the people she had met since she had been found."I am lucky to have met you." While the situation she was in was strange and obviously dangerous, she still felt lucky. The people around her had protected her and fed her, now they were clothing her. There were no words to express the gratitude in her heart.

After assuring Eliril that she was thankful, Nancy introduced her to the group. The hobbits were all rather shy as they looked at the elleth. Her smile was kind as she looked down on the small males. Aragorn and Legolas were both civil and made small talk with her. But, Boromir and Gimli ignored the woman altogether. She was unsurprised by the man, but the dwarf disappointed her. She was hoping he would be more friendly after seeing how he stared at the Lady the evening before.

Smiles lined the faces of her other friends and it brought one to her own. She still felt the grief of Gandalf's death and she knew her friends would as well. To see them able to smile after such a sad passing eased her heart. While it was still so soon after his death, she was happy they could still smile.

Lady Galadriel had said it the night before, they were in dark times. Nancy didn't know what was happening and she didn't know what was going to happen, but she knew not much good had happened thus far to their group. The best thing being their safety in the elvish city. She wondered if even that would last. She was not blind, she had seen the look on the Lord Celeborn's face the evening before.

Thinking back on the Lord and Lady she wondered how long they would allow the ragtag group to stay. Nancy had only learned the truth of the Lord and Lady afterward while the group had been talking. That they were thousands of years old and that the Lady was very powerful. But, even the most powerful had their weaknesses.

When she learned of their ages and powers, Nancy wondered what other impossibility would become possible. So many impossible things had happened around their group and that thought lifted her spirits just the slightest. Her fear mixed with excitement on what could be out in the world. Perhaps unicorns and dragons were real as well?

As her mind wondered Nancy's eyes did also. Her gaze settled over silky blond locks. She wondered how Legolas still looked so well put together? They had all been through the same hell and yet even without bathing or a single brush stroke to his hair, he still looked like the picture of a well put together person. Yet another impossible thing.

Picking at the dress covering her legs Nancy wondered if it was some elvish secret? All of the other elves were also impeccably put together. Even before her bath Eliril looked perfectly elegant and really only seemed to bath because she wanted to, not because she needed to. It had to be an elvish thing.

Getting her first really good look at Legolas while under good lighting and not scared out of her wits, she found the man truly was good looking. She had thought it back in the mines, but he really was too handsome to be real. There was not an imperfection in sight. His skin was smooth as marble and nearly pale as it. His eyes were a clear blue like the sky after a storm.

Meeting the blue eyes she had just been thinking about Nancy could feel her face flush. She shouldn't have been shocked at being caught, but she was. No-one ever expected to be caught staring. Her heart thumped as he raised an eyebrow in question at her. There was nothing she could do other than smile awkwardly. She had always been a shy person so being caught blatantly staring as she had just been was her worst nightmare.

Legolas had one of his perfect dark brows arched as he watched her carefully. He hadn't said anything and he didn't need to. She knew he was wondering about her staring, but she had no answer. Well, she had one, but there was no way that she would tell him that she was ogling his handsome face.

"This one would suit you beautifully." It was Eliril that saved her from the awkward eye contact with the other elf. "The white and pink would look lovely against your skin." The elleth's eyes seemed to shine as she held the fabric against Nancy's skin. She had not the heart to admit that normally she would never wear white. She would be able to dirty it up much too quickly.

"Thank you for your kindness." She laid her hand over Eliril's and gave a gentle squeeze. "I have no way to repay you though?" It was unlikely that the woman wanted her to repay the kindness, but if by chance she did Nancy had no clue how she would repay her.

Eliril's head began to shake so fast she wondered how it did not come off her shoulders. She began to assure the human that everything was a gift. It was something that the elleth wanted to do. She even grabbed Nancy's hand on her own having probably picked up on the fact that she enjoyed being touched.

Going over the clothes with her friend Nancy was shocked at how nice the things were. They had looked nice with a cursory look and even better as she studied them. The dress fabrics were so soft and gauzy in light colors while the pants and tunics were still soft, but thicker and darker in color. The quality of each article of clothing was something she could have only dreamed of affording on earth.

She couldn't wait to try on the clothes and see how they were. From the looks of them, the clothes would fit her just fine. Nancy wondered how the elleth would be able to get such perfectly fitting things. The other admitted that she had spent all day finding clothing that she thought might fit the human. Her admission nearly sent Nancy back into tears. How could she be so kind to a complete stranger?

When the evening came and her new friend left Nancy found her self intermittently looking at the pile of clothing. She could feel her heart squeeze at the sight. She was so happy, so grateful to the elleth. She knew that before she left she needed to find a way to thank her. It wasn't in her nature to let such kindness go unthanked.

Once the elleth was gone their camp went back to normal. Gimli rejoined them and Legolas distanced himself, the two still not seeing eye to eye. They needed a get along shirt. Boromir made no motion to join them, but she didn't think he would. If there was one thing the man could do it was brood.

Nancy found herself grateful to the hobbits. Even when Eliril had joined their group the four of them were exactly as they had been. Frodo was still shy and didn't say a word. Sam was his normal sweet self. Merry and Pippin were both all too happy to question the innocent woman all they could. The consistent adorable personalities of the four put her at ease and made her think of happier places.

It had been less than a week since she joined their group and yet Nancy could feel herself settling in with them. She had a feeling she would soon find out what was going on, or at least be filled in on the need to know parts of it. After that, she didn't know what would happen, but she knew what her choice would be. She had already known for a while what she would choose.

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An:A bit later in the day, but I ddn't miss my Sunday update! I live in Washington in America so I still got in inon Sunday ha ha! I read your reviews and I think it's so funny you guys were talking about more back story and I've had this chapter written out for so long now! I'll keep adding in things on her background as we go too! I'm so glad you guys are still reading this far and please let me know your honest thoughts!


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